The debate over new Criminal Justice legislation will not begin until next week, but opposition parties have already criticised the amount of time being set aside in the Dáil.
The Bill, which is due to be published tomorrow, proposes changes to the right to silence, greater use of mandatory sentences for serious crime, and the introduction of electronic tagging for suspects released on bail.
Minister for Justice Michael McDowell says his new Bill is prompted by concern about the gang activity and sentences imposed by the courts.
It proposes courts be allowed to refuse bail if, in the opinion of a Garda Chief Superindent, this would prevent further offences being committed. Electronic monitoring may be a condition of bail.
On sentencing, the Bill makes it clear that mandatory sentences should apply in all but the most exceptional cases.
It also proposes that anyone convicted of possessing €500,000 worth of drugs should be jailed for ten years with no exceptions.
Among the other measures are a proposal to allow up to seven days detention for those suspected of gun crimes and a change to the right of silence. Bill supporters want to let gardaí draw inferences when suspects are uncooperative during questioning, subject to certain safeguards.
Fine Gael and Labour have criticised the amount of time available to debate the legislation before the election, while Sinn Féin has claimed the Bill is an assault on civil liberties with many of its provisions ill-thought out and destined to fail.
Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Justice Aengus Ó Snodaigh said the proposal to electronically tag suspects on bail diluted the right to a presumption of innocence.
Deputy Ó Snodaigh added that while he did not have a problem with stiff sentences for serious drug dealers, mandatory sentencing had never been proven to work as a deterrent to serious crime.
