Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 15:

In page 15, subsection (2), between lines 9 and 10, to insert the following:“(d) the exclusion for consideration under this section of any conviction covered by the terms of the Good Friday Agreement 1998;”.

I have raised the issue with the Minister on a number of occasions. Many people who are involved in the taxi industry have signed up to the Good Friday Agreement. I and my colleagues believe these people should be excluded from the provision on convictions, which would send out a very strong message of support for the peace process and indicate that people who have been involved in the Good Friday Agreement are not going to be penalised in their jobs or otherwise at this stage.

We have taken legal advice in this regard, and the legal advice is that this should not be introduced with a retrospective nature for people who come under the Good Friday Agreement. I ask the Minister of State to think again. I feel that members of the Government have dug in their heels on this, probably for political reasons. We have to look at the long-term repercussions in that we could have a court case. While I am not saying it will come to that, to be on the safe side, we should be protecting these people.