Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 February 2015
369. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide an update regarding the Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill which has been subject to delays, owing to legal issues concerning a case in the UK; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6125/15]
View answer370. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide a timeframe on when the Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill will be brought through to completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6143/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 369 and 370 together.
The Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill has passed Committee Stage in the Dáil, having passed all stages in the Seanad. However, before the Bill could be taken at Report Stage, a 2013 UK Court of Appeal judgment necessitated a review of the disclosure provisions in both the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 and the Spent Convictions Bill. That review has been completed and amendments to the Vetting Act and consequential amendments to the Spent Convictions Bill are currently being drafted. The Bill will be enacted at the earliest opportunity. Pending the amendment of the Bill, an Administrative Filter for Garda Vetting Disclosures has been introduced, which provides that certain minor offences that are over seven years old are no longer disclosed.
