Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have always admired Senator van Turnhout's commitment to children and to addressing the damage being done to children. She has outlined in a cogent, effective and convincing manner, the reasons the Minister of State should take her amendments on board.

We are living in a changing world. I am not sure that I totally agree with the reference to the fact that "pornography" has become muted or diluted. We all understand what pornography means but in the context of children anything that would highlight to the general public the awfulness of these crimes is to be welcomed.

I am concerned about a matter which the Minister of State might address in his response. The report Changing Policing in Ireland published during the week indicated that child pornography cases, let us use that term for the moment, are taking up to four years to be processed. That is scandalous. We as a country cherish our children and while we may not do it in the spirit of the 1916 Proclamation, we all have good intent in that regard and certainly where our own children are concerned we will jealously guard and protect their rights.

It is unacceptable that the judicial system, or the legal system or the Garda system is inhibited to such a degree in this day and age. That is only one of many flaws or inadequacies in the technology that has been provided to the Garda. It is unacceptable. It is a severe criticism of the Government and of the Department of Justice and Equality that this has been allowed to fester and continue. Particularly in the context of these amendments, having changed the language, done everything right and put in the structures, when it comes to being effective in fighting against this pernicious crime or series of crimes, the Garda is operating with one hand tied behind its back in this modern technological age.

The Taoiseach is constantly going around the world saying that we are the best small country in the world to do business in and that we are a modern technologically advanced country. I would not confine those remarks to the current Taoiseach but the previous Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, in trying to introduce electronic voting, said that he was fed up with the idea of a country that is so modern - this was ten years ago - using pencil and paper to count votes. Therefore, it is nothing new. This supposedly modern reformist Government that was elected in 2011 has done nothing.