Lorraine Higgins (Labour) | Oireachtas source

In light of the terrible burglary in County Tipperary last weekend and the brutality of the gang's actions towards the Corcoran family, I request that the Minister for Justice and Equality come into the House to debate the possibility of amending the criminal law to prevent similar attacks happening in the future. We must send a message to those living in rural Ireland that they are safe in their homes. The closure of some rural Garda stations and the ever improving road network has only served to give these gurriers the confidence to rob, pilfer and maim those people who are living in rural areas. The human cost is such that the victims and their families are likely to be traumatised for the rest of their lives. It is up to us as legislators to ensure the inviolability of the dwelling is upheld and that people feel safe in their homes.

We must look at the statistics. Only one fifth of sentences for burglary convictions lead to jail terms of more than five years, while almost half of all convictions for burglary attract sentences of three years or less. To add insult to injury for those affected by the actions of these thugs, many robberies are carried out by repeat offenders. There is no minimum or mandatory sentences for burglars. I think this is unacceptable, given the spate and gravity of attacks in recent years. We can see from the statistics that the criminals involved are not being deterred from committing burglary again.