David Norris (Independent)

I support my colleagues who have called for an urgent debate on the implications of last week's Supreme Court decision and yesterday's decision in the Mr. A case. The man involved has admitted and acknowledged that he fed drink to a 12 year old girl before violating her. The State has failed to protect the young girl in question, who has said she is in fear as a result of the release of this man. We have known about this problem since the publication of a Law Reform Commission report 16 years ago. I wonder whether this is yet another example of the Government using the commission as a long-fingering device.