Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Senator Ruane and everyone who has spoken. There is no doubt that this is a vital issue and I was delighted to co-sponsor Senator Ruane's Bill.

This is about changing people's lives for the better and there is no doubt that everybody deserves a second, and possibly even a third, chance. I have worked in the field of addiction and with women in the prison service, the majority of whom, I am told by the governor of a prison, are in prison because of personal addiction or because they come from a family affected by addiction. Those women just want to have normal lives like the rest of it. The reality is that many of them are mothers. They want to go back out, live and be treated with respect and dignity, like the rest of us. That is what this Bill is about, especially when such women step into their own recovery. The Bill is about treating people with respect and dignity. That is the core piece of it.

Rehabilitation is obviously one of the core principles of it - becoming rehabilitated and moving on. I have met wonderful people in recovery. I am in recovery myself and have no shame in saying it. Recovery can bring one to an amazing place. I have worked with women and men who are in strong recovery and have reached unbelievable places. It is truly inspiring.

This is also about passing on down to the next generation. I have worked with families that experience a ripple effect when one person steps into recovery and the whole family gets recovery. Whether the problem is addiction or mental health, if one person steps into recovery, the whole family benefits. The children are impacted big time. A child sees their mother or father go through a recovery process and rehabilitation and watches them go back into college or do something that will give them back their dignity and respect through training courses. That is how children become inspired. It breaks the cycle. This is not just about the individual, it is about society as a whole and that is one of the core principles around this piece of legislation.

I commend Senator Ruane for introducing this vital legislation. I wanted to connect with the Senator and I have some questions and, if anyone else wants to come in, that is obviously no problem. What are the main arguments or barriers that Senator Ruane finds coming up in considering expanding access to spent convictions? What concerns must the committee address?

Could Senator Ruane give us a little more detail on the offences that are excluded from the general spent conviction scheme and the Garda vetting scheme? She might expand a little on that. References have been made to murder and things like that and that is not what this is all about. I ask those questions of Senator Ruane or anyone else who wants to come in.