Seanad debates

Wednesday, 15 December 2004

10:30 am

Photo of Brendan RyanBrendan Ryan (Labour)

While the Leader can say whatever she wishes about the matter, I resigned for the reasons I have given.

Throughout the courts system this week and last week, siblings and parents will have pleaded with judges to understand the tragedies of their siblings' and children's lives as they are charged with various offences, outlining the sad history of deprivation and neglect that characterises those involved. Some three quarters of our prison population suffer from a psychiatric illness. Yesterday we heard a plea that a person should not go to prison on the basis of having "fallen very far". While I do not want to interfere with the Judiciary in any way, I do not believe the other hundreds, if not thousands, of people who made pleas before various judges got the same sort of hearing and post-Christmas postponement; because they were poor the law operated differently for them.

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