Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

Last night in my area of Dublin south west I attended a service of remembrance for those young people who have lost their lives to the scourge of drugs in that area over the past 20 years. It is harrowing to hear of the numbers of people who have lost their lives and families destroyed as a result of the peddling of drugs.

Yesterday was a very significant day for the Irish criminal justice system. The Supreme Court handed down what I regard as the most significant judgment in a generation concerning organised crime. The court deserves credit for that judgment and it is right that the House reflects upon it. I refer to the case of Gilligan v. Ireland.

It is very important that Irish society and people outside the country know the following - that the laws of this land will come down heavily on those who peddle and traffic drugs into this country; that the laws of this land will protect witnesses who go into the witness protection programme as a means of bringing evidence against such criminals; that those drugs barons who peddle drugs into the country will serve significant periods of time behind bars for their crime; and that the assets accrued as a result of their criminality will be stripped from them and hopefully directed back to the communities upon which they have inflicted such misery for the past 20 years.

It is a great day for Irish justice and for this House which passed laws to ensure that this action could be taken against these individuals. These are the same individuals who do not recognise Irish law and who laugh at it but yesterday justice ruled against them. The message has gone out that they will be tackled and taken down.

Yesterday was also a good day for the Irish justice system in the case of Sr. Bríd Smith, a brave woman who took on the arrogance of some elements of the service and catering sector in the form of a ridiculous publican who some years ago refused to allow a person who was visually impaired into his premises. I congratulate her on her stand and the equality legislation passed in this House.