Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 17 May 2017

Select Committee on Justice and Equality

Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Bill 2016: Committee Stage

9:00 am

Photo of Clare DalyClare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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I take the point the Minister of State is making but I remain unsure. Previously, we included this definition in the general scheme of the Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Bill. It was recommended by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission that the definition, as we have amended it, should be included to clarify the situation.

I understand the point made by the Minister of State to the effect that there has to be parity of access to information. However, if the perpetrator has not been prosecuted, then there is no court case to which the relevant person would be entitled to information. Therefore, it does not really matter that we specify it. Clearly, the information in question does not exist, so no one would be required to give it to the person in question. Given that the organisation is the Government's human rights watchdog, I tend to favour keeping it. I do not see it as being messy. It is present in recital 19 to the victims directive. It has been included previously. The IHREC has recommended that it should be included.