Seanad: Saying that we are becoming a lawless society, Feargal Quinn (Ind) warned that there was a danger of people becoming complacent about serious criminal behaviour.
He believed there should be an explosion of concern about the death of the young Latvian mother in north Dublin last weekend. Added to that was the news that the lawyer who had represented her had had to leave the country under a death threat.
He said we seemed to be hearing about dreadful happenings every day and we were almost becoming complacent about them.
"We're becoming a lawless society and the onus is on us as a State to make sure that that does not continue to happen," Mr Quinn said.
Maurice Cummins (FG) said the Taoiseach had told the Dáil that there were too many murders, too many guns and too many hardened criminals at large.
"What a judgment call, I suggest, on his own Government," he said, calling for an urgent debate on law and order.
House leader Mary O'Rourke said the state of affairs was very sad, but at least the Taoiseach had been honest.
Maurice Cummins (FG) said he was worried about the precedent that was created by a legislative proposal that effectively suggested prisoners should not have access to medical treatment unless they were willing to pay for it.
Tánaiste and Minister for Justice Michael McDowell said part of the Bill dealt with payment by prisoners for requested services, including telephone calls, private medical treatment and escorts outside the prisons for matters that were not generally available without charge to prisoners.