Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

That is a good thing. I have raised this point previously. It is anachronistic and wrong that just because a person is 70 years of age he or she cannot serve on a jury. We need people of all ages, all experiences, all walks of life to take part in our jury system. The whole kernel of the criminal justice system is based on the notion that one is judged by one's peers and one's peers determine a result to courts. The age limit of 70 that exists in ordinary criminal cases should be amended. I am sure that in his reply the Minister will say it will be amended. I am pleased to hear it does not apply in this case. It is crazy that people who may have more free time than others would be debarred from taking party in a jury. I am glad it does not apply in this case because we need the widest possible group of people to be available.

What I read about this case, and the other cases that have been mentioned, and specifically the lack of modernisation in the law concerning coroners and inquests, is that for far too long we have not taken this matter seriously enough. I welcome the fact that the Minister will bring forward the heads of a Bill to be debated soon as part of an ongoing consultation process. I assure him that if he brings forward a modernised Bill we will do our best on this side to bring it through the House swiftly when it comes before us.

I reiterate my congratulations to the Labour Party, and particularly to Deputy Rabbitte, who single-handedly managed to bring the Bill to where it is today with Government support. It is a good day's work and those who are behind the campaign, specifically a family from my part of Dublin South-West, deserve all our credit for their public spiritedness and the way in which they have managed to change the law as a result of a tragedy that affected a member of their family.