Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I raise the issue of the electronic tagging of offenders. Will the Leader use his good offices to ask the Minister for Justice and Equality why it has taken ten years to enforce the provisions of the Criminal Justice Act which allows for the electronic tagging of suspects? It is high time the legislation was enforced. It could be a major resource for the Garda in its ongoing efforts to deal with suspects. It has been widely proved that electronic tagging greatly reduces the number of likely breaches of bail conditions. For this reason, it is difficult to see why ten years have elapsed and we have yet to see the provisions being brought into force. All of us in the House are aware of breaches of bail conditions which in many cases have led to violent assaults being perpetrated on innocent individuals. It is difficult to understand at a time when Garda numbers are being reduced. In the four year period to 2015, €250 million was spent on providing criminal legal aid. It is high time the legislation was introduced to enable us to provide additional security for the victims in communities who live in fear of crime at all times.