Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour) | Oireachtas source

As a Taoiseach who told this House that he is not a Catholic Taoiseach but a Taoiseach who is Catholic I think he would nevertheless accept the virtue of forgiveness in society and the merits of giving people a new start.

However, Ireland remains one of the few countries in the Council of Europe which does not have spent convictions legislation on its statute book. Report and Final Stages were to be taken on Holy Thursday in 2013, but the Bill was pulled at the last minute. When will we see it again and reach Report Stage of this important legislation?

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