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Select Committee on Justice debate -
Tuesday, 11 May 2021

Message to Dáil

In accordance with Standing Order 101, the following message will be sent to the Dáil:

The Select Committee on Justice has completed its consideration of the Perjury and Related Offences Bill 2018 and has made amendments thereto and amended the title to read as follows: An Act to provide for offences relating to perjury, subornation of perjury, the making of certain false statements, the fabrication of evidence and other related matters; for those purposes to amend certain enactments; and to provide for related matters.

I acknowledge former Senator Pádraig Ó Céidigh, who sponsored this Bill and introduced it to the Oireachtas. Deputy Naughten has taken up the baton since then and championed the Bill. I know the Deputy has corresponded with us a number of times. I acknowledge the Minister of State, the Department and all parties around the Houses who have supported this Bill and helped it progress. We did have a few false starts. I know the Attorney General took us under his wing a few times to check and double check that everything was in order and has produced various amendments we have now considered and agreed to. It is a case of full steam ahead. I thank everyone for their contributions and support.

I again thank the committee for helping the passage of this very important Bill. I would like to be associated with the Chairman's comments about former Senator Pádraig Ó Céidigh and his team, who brought this Bill to the Seanad in the first place and helped bring this about. Perjury is an offence but is very rarely prosecuted. Putting perjury on the Statute Book will help bring about prosecutions where necessary for people who are lying in courts and in processes and are undermining justice.

It will hopefully also act as a deterrent to anyone doing that in the first place.
I thank the Chair and the committee and former Senator Pádraig Ó Céidigh

If none of the committee members wishes to come in I invite Deputy Canney to say a few words.

I am representing Deputy Naughten. I wish to re-echo the sentiments on the Bill and how former Senator Pádraig Ó Céidigh did so much to get the Bill through and give us something to work on. The Regional Group has been very supportive of the Bill. There is one item which we can discuss when it comes back to the Dáil in section 14, amendment No. 22, with which we have an issue. We are happy enough with the Bill to proceed. It is important that everyone in the House has given their full support and I congratulate the Minister of State for the work he has done on it as well.

I thank Deputy Canney for his contribution and for representing his group, from which the Bill originated, and I give credit where it is due.

The select committee adjourned at 4.12 p.m. sine die.
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