Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I must take issue with the Deputy. As regards the different treatment of categories of offenders, the context for that debate in these Houses was set in the Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012. It would be incongruous for me to make provision in taxi legislation in the context of the Good Friday Agreement that would override the terms of such legislation as the Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012. That Bill was initiated in and passed by the Seanad and is now being debated in the Dáil. As I have stated on previous occasions - the Deputy seems to be replying to a different question - his party did not raise any amendment to the Bill in the Seanad relating to the Good Friday Agreement. On numerous occasions the Deputy has stated incorrectly and in a manner which I find totally unacceptable that I sat in the Seanad Chamber and replied when the Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012 was being debated. He said so recently in a radio interview. I hold a copy of the transcript of the debate on that date. I was not present and did not reply. The Deputy's party did not table any amendment. It did table amendments to the Taxi Regulation Bill 2012 but not to the Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012. If the Deputy wants to table amendments, this is the Bill to which he should table them. I have outlined to him on numerous occasions, given the legal advice which I must follow, that it is not possible to follow the criteria outlined by him. I will be following at all times the advice I have been given in this regard by the Attorney General and the officials.

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