Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)

On the basis my amendment is accepted in principle, it is a matter of how we might implement it in practice. I want to ensure one way or another, whether through law, regulation or a change in practice, that at the earliest possible opportunity a process will be put in place whereby rape victims and others will not have to face their assailants directly in an identification parade if they feel unable to do so. I recommend the Tánaiste consider the case in the UK, where they have clearly got around the practical problems. I am sure the same applies in other relatively small countries, although I am unsure of the situation in New Zealand and elsewhere. I appreciate there may be practical difficulties but whatever we do, we should not add to the trauma of rape victims and others by making them confront an assailant in identification parades.

This explains the purpose of the amendment. I hope the Tánaiste accepts the spirit of it and will give absolute confirmation that he will put in train the necessary change to ensure identification parades are conducted with a one-way screen. I hope this will be done before he goes out of office, which would only give him a matter of weeks. Conducting such parades with a one-way screen would allow the identity of the victim to be withheld.

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