Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

Senator Brian Hayes raised the important issue of victims' rights. We sometimes forget the terrible trauma and hurt suffered by victims. It is vital that victims are made aware of the imminent release of the perpetrators of the crimes committed against them.

I know of a young woman whose husband was murdered on a normal weekend in a quiet, provincial town. She and her family were deprived of their loved one for all time. They have been irreparably changed as a result of that crime. The first time they knew he had been released was when they passed him on the street in that particular small town. How can we justify adding more hurt and trauma to people's lives? It is vital that an urgent effort is made to ensure that such a case never arises again.