Tony Kett (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister to the House. I am glad to be in the back row because I am missing all the bullets here.

I compliment Senator Morrissey on bringing this Bill forward and for the thought, effort and energy he has put into it. The purpose of the Bill is to amend civil and criminal law to allow for the use of justifiable force in the face of an intruder who enters a person's home with criminal intent, without having to show whether he or she took the opportunity to retreat in the face of that intruder. It is a very sensitive and emotional issue, but most of us are of the view that the balance must be struck in favour of the house owner. Equally, we must be careful to ensure the laws we enact are proportionate.

Burglaries are a feature of all states and we are no different to that. Burglaries in Ireland have increased dramatically over the years. We are told that there is now an average of 3.5 burglaries per hour in Ireland and a property is robbed every 15 minutes. Each year, 30,000 burglaries occur, of which 21,000 occur in ordinary households.