The Justice Minister says she is open to further changes or reviews of sentencing laws.
It's after The parents of 29-year-old Matt O’Neill said the four year jail sentence handed to two men convicted of his manslaughter yesterday at the Central Criminal Court in Cork "did not amount to justice."
Eileen and Pat O’Neill described the assault as ‘brutal’ and ‘violent’ and called on the Minister to review the legislation and sentencing for similar attacks.
Speaking to RedFM news, Minister Helen McEntee noted the outcome of the trial and said sentencing has been a major focus for her department:
"Just to pay my respects and offer my condolences to his family. Only recently, I've increased assault causing harm from five to 10 years, the increased the sentence for conspiracy to murder. We're also now, in the coming weeks, going to publish our life sentences bill, which would allow the judiciary to set a minimum sentence that a person should serve. Of course, where there needs to be further changes or further reviews to sentencing, that's something that I'm very open to".
