Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not wish to comment on the case that other Senators, including Senator Darragh O'Brien, have alluded to. In general, however, for less serious crimes than the one we are talking about, the principle of restorative justice needs to be considered. In this country restorative justice has been piloted in two areas - south County Dublin and Nenagh - and it is now being established in North Tipperary. The results have been quite interesting: 63% to 64% of people who participate in a restorative justice programme do not go on to re-offend. Our prisons are completely overcrowded. We have seen articles in The Irish Times in the past few days stating that prison is not a solution for all crimes. There are ways in which the victims of crime can engage with the perpetrators, particularly for petty crimes. In some cases, it may be the first time a perpetrator has offended, and engaging in a restorative justice process with the victim of his or her crime may allow the perpetrator to achieve an understanding of the offence and of the stress and trauma his or her actions have caused. I would like to see the roll-out of the pilot programme nationally. I call on the Leader to have a debate this term on restorative justice, because it is a principle developing internationally. There is best practice in places such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada. We face economic challenges and I believe this is a way of providing a cost-effective penal system that respects the dignity of all people.