Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is important legislation. I thank Senator Ó Céidigh for bringing the Bill to the House and taking the initiative. It is important to recognise that court proceedings and the rulings of courts are independent of us. The Government is not opposing the Bill. The Minister of State's remarks on the consolidation of the laws on perjury and related offences are reasonable. Prior to becoming Minister of State, Deputy Stanton was a proactive Chair of the Committee on Justice and Equality and dealt with many issues which were perhaps unpopular or left by people for others to handle. We need to have a conversation about perjury. When we were growing up, when going before the court, one put one's hand on the Bible and swore to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. We cannot allow for any dilution with this issue.

Sometimes, if one speaks to people who go before the courts, they will say that a certain thing happened but listening to others, one would swear that it did not happen at all. The Minister of State said that it is difficult to prosecute. I smiled because I remembered that a friend of mine was before the courts. Listening to the testimony, one would think that two different things happened. I believe it is important to have that conversation, especially in the world of social media. Twitter gives people, in their own minds, a licence to say what they want about anything and everything without any consequence.

I am acutely conscious that the Minister of State has given a commitment about the working group. We need to have a debate on the issue of insurance, its costs and the awards given. The working group on insurance made a number of recommendations. It is important that we ensure that insurance fraud and costs are reduced, whether it relates to perjury or other issues. I know the Minister of State, Deputy D'Arcy is working on it.

White collar crime was discussed during the Order of Business yesterday. That exasperates people. The working group has recommendations relating to fraud and a "round table" has been established. I hope as a consequence of this legislation and of the Minister of State, Deputy D'Arcy's, working group on insurance that we will see action. I accept that it is difficult to prove that people lied in court but there is a duty to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. That is the maxim we should all work from. I thank Senator Ó Céidigh for bringing the Bill before the House and the Minister of State for not opposing it. We need to have a conversation about this. I apologise for repeating myself.We need to look at where we are going as a society and the values we uphold and stand for. This Private Members' Bill will allow us to discuss that.