Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

The Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, who I believe was a Deputy at that time in 1997, did not bring forward amending legislation or identify the great deficiencies we are now led to believe characterised the 1997 legislation. If one speaks to any practising lawyer in this town, he or she will tell one that the great advantage of the 1997 legislation, particularly in respect of assault and battery, was that it brought about a clear understanding of what the penalties were. Up to that point we were simply winging it on case law. In fairness to the then Minister for Justice, Nora Owen, she codified the law; she made it clear what the penalties were in respect of assault and battery, something which has not been done previously.