Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Many significant issues have already been raised in respect of shortcomings relating to various services within the State. We must accept, however, that those issues pale into insignificance when compared with what the unfortunate people of Nepal are enduring at present. For the second time in two weeks, Nepal has been hit by a major earthquake. Today's earthquake had a magnitude of 7.3 and resulted in the deaths of 37 people. A further 900 individuals have been injured. Of course, these casualties are in addition to the 8,000 people who were killed as a result of the previous earthquake. We should applaud and support in every way possible the aid agencies and NGOs that are working in Nepal in the most difficult of circumstances to try to restore some sort of normality to the lives of the unfortunate people who live there. Many Irish aid agencies are involved in fund-raising activities for Nepal at present. I welcome the contribution the Government has already made and I hope it will be in a position to provide further support. In addition, I hope it will call on all other countries across the globe to provide assistance. As individuals, we should try to help the people of Nepal either by making a financial contribution or by supporting the fund-raising activities to which I refer. We are all aware of what happened here during the Great Famine. However, we must recognise that people in Nepal have literally been left with nothing.

I strongly support the call for a debate on sentencing with the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Fitzgerald. I wish to confirm for Senator Craughwell that the Minister is addressing this matter in the context of the payment of fines. Criminals are running rings around and laughing at the justice system.Deputy Fitzgerald is a reforming Minister and she is doing a superb job. We would all like the opportunity to say a few words on the issue of manslaughter versus murder during the debate that the Leader, no doubt, will organise in due course.