Pauline O'Reilly (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I extend hearty congratulations to the Minister. From our small engagement on European affairs I found her to be serious, compassionate and intelligent. That arms her well for the job at hand.

I served on a jury, I qualified as a solicitor and I am now a politician, so I wish to say a few words from those perspectives. It is not just that justice is done but that justice is seen to be done. That does not only mean what happens in the courts but also what happens here and in the legislative process. We must take our responsibility incredibly seriously. We are accused of a form of auto renewal of legislation and it has become accepted practice that each year we automatically renew it. If we are to do our jobs properly, we must carry out the review. Certainly, there are very serious situations at hand where a jury is not always the best outcome. On that basis, and on the basis of what the Minister has outlined, we will accept her recommendation, but we would like to see that review take place.