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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 22 Oct 2003

Vol. 573 No. 1

Written Answers. - Criminal Records.

Dan Boyle

Ceist:

171 Mr. Boyle asked the Minister for Education and Science if the criminal record of a person (details supplied) in England can be expunged. [24557/03]

A person who was detained in or committed to an industrial or reformatory school on foot of a court order but not convicted of any offence does not have a criminal record and the question of expunging a criminal record in such cases does not therefore arise.

This issue had been raised previously by former residents of such institutions and led to the inclusion of section 35 of the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002, which states:

For the avoidance of doubt, a person who was detained in an industrial school pursuant to the Children Act, 1908, other than a person who was so detained as a consequence of a conviction for an offence, shall not be subject to any disqualification or any other restriction that is a consequence of a conviction for an offence.

If the person referred to by the Deputy wishes to make direct contact with the residential institutions redress unit of my Department, officials in the Dublin office of that unit will be happy to assist her with any queries.
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