At the start of the year we were told that the shocking and tragic murder of Ashling Murphy would be a watershed. Yesterday, however, a mother of two, Lisa Thompson, was found murdered in her Ballymun home. Last month the country was shocked by the violent murders of Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee in Sligo. Tom Niland was also attacked in his Sligo home last month. Those are just a few examples of the violent actions and murders happening in our society. The total number arrested for rape and assault in this State has doubled in the past ten years, yet only a small number of those cases have been tried in court. Ireland is becoming a harsher and more violent place, and it seems we have built in, accepted or tolerated some level of violence and murder in our society. It seems that outrage lasts as long as the media cycle. What steps is the Government taking to ensure we embed respect for life in society?

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I extend my deepest sympathies to the family of Lisa Thompson following her horrific and barbaric murder. I do not believe there is any toleration of such barbaric acts in this House or in society. I genuinely do not believe there is any tolerance threshold for such violence at all. Very significant new measures have been brought in in respect of sentencing, Garda powers and the Garda being in a position to bring many people to justice for the commission of these horrific crimes. As I have said before, there has to be a whole-of-society response to such brutality. There can be no toleration of it.