Feargal Quinn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted about the attention being given in recent days to problems in the Border area, particularly the fuel smuggling that has gone on. I hope something comes of it. We have debated this before and have asked for debates on it before. It really is bandit country up there, both north and immediately south of the Border. It seems they can get away with it with impunity.

To what extent is this related to our sentencing policy? Senator Ivana Bacik has spoken in the past about the reason for jail sentencing. Is it rehabilitation, punishment, or some other reason? We should bring attention to that on a more regular basis than has been the case in the past. The area of sentencing needs consideration, particularly given that there are people who seem to be quite happy about going to jail. One of the suggestions the former Minister, Deputy Alan Shatter was working on was attaching fines to the income, whether it is one's dole or salary. I do not think that has come about. We found a way of doing that with property tax and water tax, that we can take money away from income, but we have not found it in regard to criminals. That seems like something we should be moving on. We should move with alacrity. We do not have to delay as it would be a comparatively simple piece of legislation.