Jim Higgins (Fine Gael)

I fully support the call from all sides of the House regarding the debate on the proposals on prison reform made by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The Minister responded to the gangland murders in Limerick and the collapse of the Limerick murder trial by saying he would not be goaded into a knee-jerk reaction. However, his announcement yesterday is a typical knee-jerk reaction. He is facing a major confrontation. I agree there is a need to deal with the issue of overtime for prison officers, but we also need an urgent debate on the matter.