Donie Cassidy (Fianna Fail)

Senators Fitzgerald, O'Donovan, O'Toole, Boyle, Regan, Harris and Norris expressed their horror at the two brutal murders, one in a taxi and one in a barn, that took place in recent days. Who would ever have thought a few years ago that we would be seeing Ireland in the position it is in today? The challenge of crime, and everything that goes with it, is a serious one for us democratic legislators. I stated here a couple of weeks ago that the fear is gone out of the law.

I listened attentively to what Senator Harris had to say about 30 day detention. I will bring these strong views to the Minister and I will afford time for this issue to be discussed in the House in the next few weeks. It is a serious challenge to law and order. I know all parties in the House stand shoulder to shoulder in support of anything we can do by way of a new initiative, and any investment that needs to be made by the Government should be supported. When other such challenges were laid down previously they were met. It must be made known to those involved that the fear will be put back into the law and if sentences need to be increased, from 25 to 30, 40 or 50 years, where people go to prison and stay there without one day's remission, then let that be so. That is the challenge facing us as legislators.