Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I assure Senator Mooney that the Attorney General will be as thorough in his investigation into the matter in question as he was in the preparation of this Bill.

On Senator Kenneally's point, the question of sentencing by the Judiciary is very far-reaching, but any fair-minded person looking at this legislation will see that very extensive maximum sentences have been laid down for the Judiciary. The offence in cases where the victim is under 15 warrants a sentence of up to life in prison. It is five years in the case of victims of 15 and 16 years.