Taoiseach pledges to reform bail laws as accused criminals on bail suspected of over 40,000 crimes last year

The figure is more than 110 a day, as Government backbenchers become increasingly concerned about falling prison populations.

It came as the issue of crime soared up the list of public concerns, as reflected in a Sunday Independent poll last weekend.

Meanwhile former Defence Minister Willie O’Dea said non-custodial sentences were “pretty useless” and hundreds of millions of euro in fines were going unpaid.

In response, the Taoiseach told the Dáil today: “The bail laws will be reformed further.”

The question is now being looked at in the Department of Justice, he said, but there were legal issues as to the presumption of innocence when bail was granted.

As Mr Martin was questioned by Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald on the issue, the Taoiseach said: “I don’t know whether you’re proposing full-scale internment of everybody who is a suspect?”

Some TDs believed he was making reference to the British policy of Internment in the North of Ireland in the early 1970s that led to the mass…

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Independent.ie