Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

In many ways, as a small country, we have a lot to be proud of. We have made very great strides since the foundation of the State. We are regarded as a model for other emerging legislatures. Very often, where there are inadequacies, it comes down to lack of common sense and compassion. I have in mind the legal system which is still archaic in many ways. This House would be serving a particularly useful purpose to have a debate on this matter. I was taken aback recently when I saw a case of an unemployed carpenter who broke into the local church at night in order to avoid the rigours of winter. He slept in the loft and also took some money from the poor box, a sum which I understand was something in excess of €1,000. He ended up serving six months in prison. I ask each person here to dwell on that case for a moment because there is something radically wrong with a system where this can happen. I will not make comparisons with more serious cases where there was no penalty of prison involved.

I also cite the case of an elderly woman, Teresa Tracy, who is currently languishing in prison. She loves her land and we all know what love of land means in this country. We can understand the emotion and the sentiment involved in this case. Considering all the progress we have made and all the eminence which we have at our disposal, surely it must have been possible through dialogue and diplomacy, to have avoided a situation like this. These are only two examples and I could give several other examples.

I hope in the future here in the Seanad that when cases such as this come to our attention, we will raise them and discuss them with the appropriate Minister. I am not talking about the sentencing nor about the courts; my point is about the actual administration of the law itself. It is a question of how we can avoid situations like this.