Kenny goes electronic on crime, but he risks a short circuit to the system

WE have become accustomed to loose use of language about crime from Fine Gael’s justice spokesperson Jim O’Keeffe.

He has stretched the lexicon of adjectives in order to convince us all that crime levels have reached outrageous/shameful/disgraceful/shocking/appalling levels, and are rising dramatically.

Thankfully, it has been possible usually to ignore O’Keeffe’s over-the-top rhetoric. However, when the same loose and exaggerated language about crime comes out of the mouth of the leader of the opposition in the course of his árd fheis speech, it can no longer be ignored.