Ivana Bacik (Independent)

I welcome today's debate on innovation and job creation. There is good news today of the opening of the Waterford Crystal visitor centre in the new Waterford Crystal House. I have a personal interest in the matter as my grandfather re-opened the Waterford glass factory in the 1940s and I was sorry I could not go to the opening today. The staff there kindly invited me and I wish them all the best for the venture. Many of us will hope to visit it. I certainly intend to do so in August when I will be in Waterford. It is a really welcome innovation for job creation, tourism and selling Ireland abroad. It is a positive development and I wish them well.

I renew my call for a debate on prison overcrowding and sentencing reform. The figures published yesterday in The Irish Times , showing our jail population has hit a record level, must be a real cause of concern for many of us. For the first time, we now have more than 5,000 prisoners in the State, with nearly 1,000 on temporary release because of overcrowding. This raises the question of how many of them should have been sent to prison in the first place. It is pointless to send people to prison for minor offences if they are to be granted temporary release within a day and sometimes before they have served even 24 hours. We need to review this practice. I am glad to see the Fines Bill going through the Houses. It is a welcome step. However, we need to look at other forms of sentencing reform to ensure we are not sending people to jail unnecessarily and causing horrendous overcrowding.

I echo Senator Norris's words in welcoming the announcement that the State will withdraw its appeal in the Lydia Foy case and I commend Lydia Foy on her bravery in taking the case. I hope we will see legislation before too long recognising, in law and properly, the rights of transsexuals.