Vol. 502 No. 6
284 Mr. Higgins (Dublin West) asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has satisfied himself that the laws in relation to registered private investigators are adequate to prevent harassment of people targeted for investigation by these investigators. [8812/99]
The Non-Fatal Offences against the Person Act, 1997 introduced criminal sanctions for persons found guilty of the offence of harassment which is aimed at what is commonly called "stalking".
This new offence created by the 1997 Act carries a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment. A person will be guilty of this offence if he or she, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse by any means, harasses another by persistently following, watching, pestering, besetting or communicating with the victim so as to seriously interfere with that person's peace and privacy or to cause alarm, distress or harm to the person. This provision is of general application and applies to private investigators as well as to others.
The court is also empowered under this legislation to order the stalker not to communicate in any way with the victim for such period as may be specified by the court or to approach within such distance as the court shall specify of the place of residence or employment of the victim. Breach of such a court order will be an offence and the maximum penalty here is also seven years
imprisonment.
I have no plans at present to review the law in relation to harassment.
I might add that the Government has approved my proposal to give effect to recommendations contained in the report of the consultative group on the private security industry for establishment of a statutory framework for regulation of the industry. The proposal now forms part of the Government's legislation programme.
Work on the heads of legislative proposals is at a preliminary stage in my Department but it is my intention to have the details of the legislation developed as soon as possible.
