Political reaction:Mayo Fianna Fáil TD John Carty last night said the law needed to be changed to shift the balance in favour of people who face an intruder in their home or on their property.
Mr Carty said Co Mayo more than any other county has suffered in relation to robberies and attacks and he plans to raise the matter at the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party after Christmas. "I do think legislation needs to be looked at," he said.
Speaking after the acquittal last night by the Central Criminal Court of Co Mayo farmer Pádraig Nally, who was accused of the manslaughter of John "Frog" Ward in October 2004, Mr Carty said: "The law is the law and the jury found he was not guilty. I hope he gets on with his life now and that he is left in peace."
He added: "We were always told a man's home is his castle and a lot of people are going in now and robbing and taking property. This is very worrying for people in rural areas."
Mr Carty said he had two cases recently of constituents who had experienced intruders.
Meanwhile, Fine Gael justice spokesman Jim O'Keeffe said the party never comments on individual cases. "But we have consistently made the argument that when confronted with intruders on their own property, the sides of justice should be tilted in the owner's favour."
He pointed out that Fine Gael published the home defence Bill last year, which says it should be the victim and not the criminal whose rights should be most protected by law.
It covers victims of intrusion into their own homes but does not cover those who experience others trespassing on their land.
At the time of the launch Mr O'Keeffe said that while the party does not promote the excessive use of violence, it believes an innocent person who is intruded upon in his or her own home, often in the dead of night, should not have the law weighted against them in their quest to prove they acted reasonably.
The Bill was voted down by the Government.