Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for accepting amendment No. 22. It is a good addition to the Bill, especially given what I said in my contributions regarding facial recognition. It gives me some comfort to know it will be there. With regard to amendment No 25, the Minister knows that I take regard not of the crime that someone has committed but rather the length of time since that crime was committed.If someone has committed a crime, whether it be murder, a summary offence or a crime the person did or did not end up in prison for, it is usually the distance from it that matters. The board would still have full control of who is on it. A person cannot just demand to be on the board anyway. People have to show they work in the area, such as working in community development, as a drugs worker, in youth and community sectors or whatever field. Yes, they have a previous conviction. We see people who have done time in prison during their lives working on task forces and in youth clubs and what they add. They are on the joint policing forums and safety forums and are feeding in at all those levels. Ultimately, if the Minister will not accept the amendment now, will she try to reframe the issue in the long run? It is not about just taking someone fresh from prison who says they want to be on the board of An Garda Síochána. How people are selected and appointed, the interview process and whatever else goes along with that, would have to make sense and be in line with the legislation . It would have to be done in conjunction with all those things.