Senator Neville has a matter of concern regarding video nasties. He has two minutes to make his statement.
Adjournment Matter. - Matters of Concern to Members.
An Leas-Chathaoirleach
I call on the Minister for Justice to ensure that the office of the national censor is given all the necessary resources to ensure that the law is fully enforced in relation to video nasties. The Minister must also introduce legislation to exclude all children from the adult section of video shops and libraries. New and strict controls must be put in place at all distribution outlets with severe cash penalties for anybody breaching the controls. Steps must be taken to ensure that all outlets are licensed and a separate licence must be required for each outlet. Appropriate taxation measures must be introduced to put all video nasties beyond the price range of young people.
In a report published recently, Professor Elizabeth Newson, head of the child development unit at Nottingham University, established a clear and direct link between the tragic murder of Jamie Bulger and the video viewing habits of the children who perpetrated the horrendous murder. The report stated that "a large number of children today are already totally desensitised by violence". One must be concerned with the implications of this.
There is a large number of children who in moral terms do not know the difference between right and wrong. That is a shocking indictment of the manner in which children are being raised in this generation. There is a large body of expert opinion which argues that there is a clear and direct connection between the viewing of pornographic material and the rising incidences of rape and related sexual degradation of women and children. The Minister for Justice must act to ensure that the present law is applied to the fullest extent and that adequate legislation is introduced to control this situation.
The Seanad adjourned at 8.25 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 5 May 1994.