Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

With the Minister of State's amendment, we have ended up diluting what is in the Bill. Will he give us an explanation? The Bill, as published, stated, "on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years." We have diluted that to a fine or imprisonment. In other words, we are leaving it to the discretion of the Judiciary. I would be of a view that an offence under this section warrants mandatory imprisonment and it should not be discretionary.The sexualisation of children is one matter, but the sexual exploitation of children is a more serious situation.