Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 5:

In page 8, before section 5, but in Part 1, to insert the following new section:

"PART 2

WITNESS INTIMIDATION

5.—The Minister shall, by regulation under this section, make provision for identification of suspects by witnesses, victims and other persons where the suspect can be identified through a one-way screen and the identity of the witness, victim or other person can be withheld.".

This amendment is designed to put the witness protection programme on a statutory footing. The Minister will agree that at present, there is an extremely slapdash approach to this area and this can only be of benefit to gangland figures and other serious organised criminals.