A DEBATE in the Dail in four weeks time to consider the report of a committee, or to discuss recycled, previously announced but unimplemented initiatives, was simply not good enough, the Fine Gael TD Mr Alan Shatter said last night.
He accused successive governments of different political persuasions in recent years of too frequently responding to an individual tragic event or major crime with piecemeal, fire-brigade responses which met the public relations need of the moment but which utterly fail to properly address the problems which must be confronted.
Whatever new measures were to be implemented to address the bail problem, it was clear they would be nothing but a public relations headline unless the shortfall in prison places was dealt with.