I raise this morning the issue of jail sentences given to those convicted of burglary. There was a case recently in my own constituency in Galway where the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, appealed the sentence given to a man who had committed multiple burglaries including one in the home of an 83-year-old woman when she was present, which happened in mid-2020. The Court of Appeal agreed and added a year to the sentence. The man will now serve six years with the final 12 months suspended. In my opinion, this is a sentence of five years for multiple burglaries but, potentially, significantly less because we are all aware of reductions due to good behaviour, etc. Despite the increase in the sentence by the Court of Appeal this seems to be a very light sentence and not appropriate.

I must remind the Senator of the issue of the separation of powers between the Houses of the Oireachtas and the Judiciary and ask him to be mindful of that.

I thank the Cathaoirleach. As we are all aware, burglaries are one of the most horrific crimes, given the impact that they have on the victims. The home is sacred for our people and is a place of comfort and security and is a person’s castle. That can be wiped out very quickly by such burglaries. This has a crippling and chilling impact on the victims of these crimes, reducing the quality of their lives for many years. It also has an impact on communities beyond that of the direct victim. It causes fear and terror for other members of the community, particularly those who are vulnerable and living alone. I am convinced that the current sentences being handed out need to reflect the damage caused by the criminal acts and these sentences certainly do not appear to act as a deterrent, especially given the number of repeat offenders. I would be grateful if the Deputy Leader would raise this matter with the Minister for Justice.