My colleague, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae, raised the issue of the savage attack on that wonderful family in Tipperary. I wish to ask about the bail legislation and the proposals on tagging. These criminals - roving rogues and scurrilous scumbags - have to be tagged.

I have seen an experiment done in England where there was tagging of badgers. It is amazing what can be done when there is tagging and the amount of crime that can be cut by watching on a monitor. They have to be tagged and we have to stop the charade of free legal aid happening once, twice and even ten times. It is just a money machine and the barristers will have to answer for it too. It is not good enough. There was an horrific attack in south Tipperary and in some cases some of them had 80 previous convictions and were out on bail. It is a joke. We need to tackle those laws.

The first thing that has to happen is that, as I hope, these burglars are apprehended and brought before the court. As the Deputy is aware, the facility exists in law at the moment to provide for tagging but, obviously, the punishment meted out for this particularly savage, aggressive burglary is one for the judge and the court to decide.

Why are they not tagged?

I hope everybody co-operates and that gardaí can apprehend them as quickly as possible and bring them before the court where justice can be meted out.