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

I move amendment No. 5:

In page 6, between lines 39 and 40, to insert the following:“(g) in section 10, by inserting the following subsections after subsection (2):

“(3) Subsection (2) shall be operated with due consideration for the principles set down by the Good Friday Agreement 1998 in respect of placing no undue barriers to employment against people with previous convictions arising out of the conflict referred to in the Agreement and that Schedule 1 or 2 shall not apply in these cases.

(4) A licensing authority shall not grant a licence under section 9 to a person unless it is satisfied that he or she is not engaged in full-time employment in any other occupation and plans to continue this work during the operation of the licence.”,”.

I have raised this issue several times. There has been a very difficult period in the North in keeping the Assembly up and running. There are many legacy issues, one of which is prisoners and people who were released under the Good Friday Agreement. The spirit of the Agreement suggested to me and others that people who looked for jobs would not be penalised as a result of any legislation and would be in a position to take up jobs and be protected. The Minister has given me the same answer time and again, but there have been several court decisions in which judges have taken a view that people in employment should not be penalised. I appeal to the Minister to consider this issue again.