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Daft Bill provides for 12-month jail term for detonating nuclear bomb

Issued : Tuesday 13 May, 2008

The provision in the Nuclear Test Ban Bill that allows for somebody found guilty of detonating a nuclear bomb to be jailed for only 12 months or fined just €5,000 is just silly and should be removed, according to Labour.

The Bill will be debated tomorrow at the Oireachtas Environment Committee.

Deputy Lynch said: "This provision is crazy and I'll be asking Minister Gormley to get rid of it. Under the provisions of this legislation, if the nuclear detonation is of a minor nature, the District Court can impose a sentence of 12-month jail sentence or a €5,000 fine. How can detonating a nuclear bomb be minor?

"If somebody detonates a nuclear bomb, the chances are that there will be no jail to put them in. Nor will be there be too many people concerned about collecting a fine!

"The District Court is authorised to impose fines of €10,000. With its maximum fines of €5000, this bill doesn't even let it go that far with ! It just doesn't make any sense.

"This is beyond ridiculous. We've become accustomed to some barmy ideas coming from the John Gormley and his Green Party colleagues, but this takes the biscuit."