Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 January 2014
573. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if his attention has been drawn to the fact that some insurance companies (details supplied) will not take on customers who committed minor traffic offences in the past; and the way this fits in with the Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill. [1158/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra584. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the date on which the Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2013 will be enacted. [1334/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 573 and 584 together.
The Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012 provides generally that a person may not be required to disclose a conviction that is spent under the Bill. In the context of insurance, the only exception is where the conviction is in respect of fraud, deceit or dishonesty in relation to an insurance claim. With regard to the enactment of the Bill, I have previously explained that 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 in the Spent Convictions Bill. That review has now been completed and I expect that it will be possible to complete the passage of the Bill in the first half of this year.
