Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In supporting this Bill I wish to draw attention in particular to the need to ensure that qualifying prisoners released under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement are not discriminated against. We would prefer to include other former political prisoners in the legislation as well. I was involved in negotiations on prisoner issues and the clear commitment at the time was to ensure that qualifying prisoners under the Good Friday Agreement would be facilitated in their efforts to rebuild their lives outside of prison. The clear understanding was that no barrier would be placed in the way of former political prisoners in terms of accessing employment and taking up educational opportunities and so on.

Unfortunately, the spirit of that commitment has not been fully adhered to. In general, former republican prisoners have successfully rebuilt their lives outside prison, but recently we have seen an attempt to discriminate against former political prisoners in respect of employment. I am specifically referring to the recent legislation governing the issuing of taxi licences.

Naturally, we recognise that certain categories of offenders must be excluded from certain types of employment to protect members of the public, but we do not accept that this ought to apply across the board. Distinctions should be made in respect of categories of non-political prisoners as well. Many former republican prisoners work as taxi drivers. One reason for this relates to the difficulties in securing other employment for a long period owing to age, qualifications or their having been in prison. It is, therefore, unfair that former prisoners should be discriminated against in this manner, given that they have often worked for many years as taxi drivers and have not been convicted of any other offence that would or should exclude them from being issued with a licence.

My party as well as other Deputies and Senators made that point in the debate on the taxi legislation but we were ignored by the Government. There is no evidence that former political prisoners present a danger to the public who use taxis and yet they were gratuitously included in the legislation. If the new licensing regulations are adhered to, strictly to the letter, it will mean that many former political prisoners will lose their only means of employment. Many are at an age when finding an alternative job is difficult if not impossible in the current circumstances. Therefore, there is clearly a need for a measure such as that proposed in the Bill to ensure that qualified political prisoners under the Good Friday Agreement and other political prisoners released prior to the Agreement are given greater protection under the law.

One part of the reconciliation process and conflict resolution in the aftermath of the ceasefires and political agreements which brought an end to the conflict has been the re-integration of former political prisoners from all parties to the conflict. Lately we have seen attempts to interfere with that process, including the arrest of former prisoners as well as the exclusion of former political prisoners on both sides of the Border from particular jobs. It would appear that certain people are intent on penalising former republican political prisoners for vindictive reasons.

This is not only vindictive but also a retrograde step. It illustrates a certain degree of complacency about the conflict resolution process as well as a breach of the spirit, if not the letter, of the understanding that after 1998 former political prisoners would not be prevented from enjoying the same rights and opportunities as other citizens. Clearly, there is a need to ensure that in future the process does not depend on the goodwill or otherwise of whichever party or parties happen to be in power. The only way to ensure that, as with the protection of other sections of society referred to in the Bill, is to embody protections in the law. Therefore, I hope Deputies from across the House will vote for the Bill and allow it to go forward to be properly debated and, if necessary, amended to implement in law the protections it outlines.

Many who have come through the House have been former political prisoners. Indeed, if the letter were adhered to with regard to republican prisoners the Deputy in the Chair might find himself in difficulty because of his past association with the Irish Farmers Association and having been in prison because of it.

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