Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Like Senator Darragh O'Brien, I wish to be very careful in how I make my point in regard to yesterday's sentencing, being very conscious of the separation of powers. Will the Leader arrange a debate in the House on sentencing policy, to involve the Minister for Justice and Equality, and with a particular focus on how we can maintain and ensure the confidence of all of our citizens in sentencing matters? I would be the last person to call for a hang-'em-and-flog-'em approach to criminal justice and I realise judges have many factors to take into account when they are considering whether and for how long to suspend sentences and issues in regard to leave to appeal and the granting of bail.

I am very conscious that women in particular take note of sentences such as that which was handed down in the past day or so. I mean no disrespect to the judge but women wonder when a sentence such as this is passed whether it is connected with the existence of a largely male Judiciary and whether there is a full understanding in our society of the gravity of offences, particularly the offence of rape. Therefore, I think it is appropriate that in this House we draw very serious attention to what was decided. We respect the role of the judge and we respect his integrity in the way he does his job, but the fact remains that something very serious and disturbing was decided. I am referring in particular to the granting of bail in a case such as this, guilt having been established. I request the Leader to make time available in early course for a debate on this matter.

We are all supporting the Government's initiative on The Gathering but I do not think the it foresaw the gathering that took place in Merrion Square last Saturday when 25,000 people - representing what Mr. Mickey Harte described as the middle ground of Irish society - expressed their serious concerns specifically with the Government's proposal to legislate for direct abortion on the grounds of suicide threat. It was made very clear at that event that people on the pro-life side of the argument find it deeply offensive when it is suggested that they are not concerned with saving every woman's life. Everybody agrees that women are entitled to all necessary medical interventions. We heard at the recent hearings that took place in this very Chamber that this happens in this country every day, even when it is foreseeable that the child's life will be lost, but to legislate for abortion on the basis of a threat of suicide is to legislate for something for which there is no medical evidence. It is to legislate for the direct targeting of an innocent human life. I think we should have a debate in this House because, as good as the hearings were, priority was given to members of the health committee. They did a very good job in so far as it goes in ventilating some of the issues, but it was very clear from those hearings that there is no medical basis for abortion on the grounds of threatened suicide.