Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

I join with other Senators in complimenting the Minister. We went through the Bill thoroughly in the past and the amendments that have been made are sensible. While I am sure that judicial discretion will deal with it, I have one slight reservation in that we are probably dealing with people who have absconded from serving sentences in the past. While every effort must be made to rehabilitate people, the deterrent of prison must be there as well.

Recently, I visited Germany and spoke to some people who were knowledgeable about the justice system both there and in Austria. I know the Minister is preparing to tackle the issue of anti-social behaviour, but parental responsibility needs to be exercised in this regard. I understand that in Austria parents can be imprisoned because of their failure to exercise responsibilities and duties concerning their children who behaved in an anti-social manner. We need to push the pendulum somewhat in that direction because too often a laissez-faire approach is taken in society with regard in particular to incorrigible, repeat offenders who commit fairly serious crimes. They can graduate from one form of crime to another. The emphasis should be on rehabilitation, but where people fail to respond to that they should be open to the full rigours of the law.