An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-25
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PJ Murphy (FG), Agricultural Panel

I am bringing forward a Bill on tool theft to amend the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 to introduce a mandatory minimum custodial sentence for serious theft-related offences involving work equipment where the theft directly prevents someone from earning a living. Under its provisions, where an adult is convicted of theft, burglary, aggravated burglary, robbery or handling stolen work equipment, a court would be required to impose a minimum sentence of three years imprisonment. The Bill would further provide that the sentence could not be suspended beyond 18 months. I intend to put in place a real and clear deterrent so that the punishment for the crime reflects the seriousness of the crime. I believe that is not currently the case.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-25/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:41+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-25