Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Deputy. This is a very important Bill, particularly for people who may have been convicted of a minor offence many years ago in a District Court, which has hung over their entire life. That is why we have brought in this legislation and I will have the amendments before the House in this term. Section 3 provides that certain employments are exempt from the Bill. These include any work with children or vulnerable adults, employment with the Defence Forces, employment with An Garda Síochána, other criminal justice appointments, and Central Bank or NTMA appointments. Section 10 of the Bill also provides that spent conviction provisions do not apply to certain applications for licences such as firearms licences, taxi licences, PSV or road haulage operator licences, and so on. I think people would understand this. I am not amending those provisions, but I have a number of amendments that had to be made following on from the Court of Appeal decision in the United Kingdom. They are being drafted and I will ensure we will have it before the summer.

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