Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is interesting that whether a conviction is publicised depends, completely arbitrarily, on whether a member of the media is in court. A person could be convicted of rape in Dublin one day with huge media attention around it, while on another day there might not be that much media attention. It is unreliable to have a system whereby we are dependent upon members of the press being in court for the public to be given information that is publicly available and that we say should be publicised.

I ask the Minister to consider with her Department officials that we could have a register of those who have committed violent offences for which they have received custodial sentences. That information would be available to the gardaí, who could use it as they see fit, particularly where people find themselves in a relationship with somebody who has previously shown a propensity to commit violence in a relationship.

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