McDowell pours cold water on tougher sentencing call

Justice Minister Michael McDowell has poured cold water on the Taoiseach’s call for tougher sentencing in the wake of the murder of Donna Carey in Dublin at the weekend.

Yesterday, Bertie Ahern told the Dáil that he would like to see tougher sentencing to ensure a person sent to prison for life is never released back into society.

However, speaking in Dublin today, Mr McDowell said it would be wrong to tear up current policy in response to one single incident.

"There are some people who are in prison at the moment who I don't propose to release in any foreseeable circumstance," he said, "but there are other people for whom the prospect of rehabilitation is a good thing.

"You don't change your entire penal policy based on one incident, no matter how awful or grotesque or harrowing that incident may be."