Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

I am very proud to stand here this evening to introduce the Criminal Justice (Rehabilitative Periods) Bill to the Dáil. This is legislation that has been championed for years, since 2018, by my friend and colleague in the Seanad, Senator Lynn Ruane. I want to acknowledge her work on this Bill from the outset. It is a Bill rooted in lived experience, in real communities and in the simple belief that people can change their lives.

I also want to acknowledge the fact that we are seeing something that does not always happen in this Chamber - broad agreement from the Government that reform in this area is necessary and overdue. I acknowledge the Minister of State for supporting the progression of this legislation because I believe that consensus and coming to an agreement in the Chamber matters on areas of importance such as this. It matters to the thousands of people across the country who have done everything society has asked of them - people who have served their sentence, stayed out of trouble and worked to rebuild their lives but who continue to carry the weight of a past conviction long after they have moved on, rebuilt and repaid their debt to society. That is what this Bill seeks to address.

At its heart, this legislation is about rehabilitation. It is about second chances and recognising that rehabilitation and recovery are both possible, and recognition of that is necessary from those who create legislation. This legislation simply means that after a person has completed their sentence and lived for a sustained period without reoffending, they should not be forced to carry that conviction with them forever in every aspect of their lives. It does not erase the conviction. It does not rewrite history or heal the hurt for victims but it allows people, after demonstrating rehabilitation, to move forward, particularly when it comes to education, employment and general participation in society.

The evidence is very clear. When people have access to employment, education and stability, reoffending drops and communities, by consequence, become safer. When people have access to employment, education and stability, reintegration into society is a societal value as a whole. Yet, the reality is that Ireland’s current spent convictions system is extremely narrow and conservative. Under the existing law, many people simply cannot qualify for a spent conviction at all. A single additional conviction can exclude someone permanently, regardless of how long ago those offences occurred or how dramatically their life has changed since. That means people who offended years or sometimes decades ago and who have since turned their lives around completely remain locked out of opportunities to give back. I refer to people who have gone back to education, overcome addiction, addressed their trauma and are trying to build stable lives for themselves and their families. Yet, the door to employment or opportunity can still be closed to them because of something they did years earlier and have sought to make amends for in every single year that has passed.

As Senator Ruane has said so powerfully when speaking about this issue in the Seanad, these archaic laws mean that people who have not offended for years and who have done everything they can to rebuild their lives are still unable to move forward. That is not justice and it is not smart policy either. Rehabilitation in the criminal justice system has to really mean something in practice.

This Bill broadens the range of convictions that can become spent while maintaining clear exclusions for serious offences. It removes the arbitrary cap on the number of convictions that can become spent. It introduces proportionate rehabilitative periods that better reflect the seriousness of the offence and the age of the person at the time. It extends eligibility for sentences that can qualify. It shortens rehabilitative periods for young people, recognising the importance of giving them a second chance to move forward. Importantly, it introduces protections so that people cannot be discriminated against in employment simply because they do not disclose a conviction that has been legally spent.

These are practical, sensible reforms that bring Ireland closer to international best practice in rehabilitative justice. They recognise a basic truth - that if someone has served their sentence and stayed out of trouble for years afterwards, they deserve the opportunity to move forward with their lives. For so many people, the barriers created by our current system show up in very real ways, with people who are unable to apply for jobs, who are excluded from training or educational opportunites, or who are trying to participate in their community - volunteering, coaching sports teams and contributing in positive ways - but are held back by past mistakes that continue to follow them everywhere they try to go.

As the Minister of State knows, I represent an area where we see so clearly how crime is inextricably linked with societal disadvantage. Issues like poverty, trauma and addiction are realities that shape people’s lives. When I think about how lucky I am to hold the justice portfolio for my party - a responsibility I take enormously seriously - I often think about the people I have met not just in this role but in all the roles that have led me to the one I hold. I refer to people I have spoken to through prison visits; people who have come through the justice system; and people who have made enormous efforts to rebuild their lives after incredibly difficult circumstances. I often think about how incredibly valuable it would be if our systems were more informed by the lived experience of people who have actually been through them. It is something Senator Ruane has said before: just imagine the benefit to our social workers, social care teams, teachers and gardaí if we stopped standing in the way of people who have already done the work to change their lives, despite the wrongs of their past. If someone does the work to change their life, if they stay out of trouble and try to contribute positively to society, then surely the State should support that journey and not block it.

Failing to support rehabilitation and keeping people on the margins of society benefits absolutely nobody. So many people who will benefit from this legislation committed relatively minor offences during really difficult periods in their lives and we know that people can and do change. We see the benefits of that in our communities every single day.

This legislation simply recognises that change. It recognises the courage it takes for people to rebuild their lives and the role the State must play in supporting the process.

I again acknowledge Senator Ruane’s leadership on this issue and the heart she brings to her advocacy, which is driven by constant community engagement and backed by reams of research. Her work has helped to bring this issue from the margins into the centre of policy discussion. I am genuinely proud to play a part in the legislation being brought forward today because, ultimately, this bill is about believing that people have a role to play in contributing to society and that the mistakes in people's past should not weigh them down forever. It is about ensuring that when the work is done, people can rebuild their lives. It is an important and meaningful step forward. It will help people to access employment, families to build stability and communities to become stronger. It does not take away the hurt, but it recognises that people are more than their worst day.

Many of us have heard it said that if you cannot do the time, you should not do the crime and I absolutely accept that. When crimes are committed, there are victims, there is hurt and restitution and justice are required. However, once the time is done, lives still have to be lived. They have to be rebuilt and today we can go some way towards making that process a little fairer on the scales of justice.

Before I conclude, I thank the staff in my office, Ms Eleanor O'Donovan and Ms Caitlin Hennessy, who I give an awful time to. Sometimes it is with legislation like this that I see the real work and the heart they bring to the work we are doing in the Dáil today. The fact that this Bill is passing Second Stage is a testament to their work, to the communities who told their personal stories and gave testimony and to the work and advocacy of Senator Ruane. I look forward to hearing the discussion.

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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I really welcome the opportunity to address Dáil Éireann today regarding the Criminal Justice (Rehabilitative Periods) Bill 2018 on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan. Unfortunately he is in Brussels today and that is the only reason he is not here.

At the outset, I acknowledge the work that has brought us to this point, some of which was so well described by Deputy Gannon. This Bill was first introduced to Seanad Éireann in 2018 by Senator Ruane. It completed all Stages there in June 2021 and I recognise, as Deputy Gannon did, her absolute commitment, persistence and strong advocacy on this. I thank Deputy Gannon for bringing the Bill before this House for consideration on Second Stage. As someone who has been a Deputy as well as a Minister of State, I acknowledge that incredibly hard work is done in offices by the staff in those offices and they are the people who give us the ability to stand here and make these speeches. A lot of hard work goes into it and it is good to see it acknowledged.

The Bill has benefited from engagement across successive Governments, which reflects the serious importance of the issues involved. It was not opposed on Committee Stage in 2019 by then Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Charlie Flanagan. In 2021, Government approval was secured by then Minister for Justice, Deputy Helen McEntee, for the Bill to proceed, subject to the opportunity to introduce amendments. This week, as I mentioned, the Minister brought a memo to the Government seeking approval to continue with the approach of not opposing the Bill on Second Stage and I can confirm that was endorsed by the Cabinet.

A conviction can carry consequences for an individual far beyond the sentence imposed by a court. It can affect, as the Deputy rightly pointed out, everything from employment to housing, education and training. It can limit opportunity. It creates barriers that make reintegration more difficult, and it can increase the risk of returning to offending. At its core, the Criminal Justice (Rehabilitative Periods) Bill 2018 sets out to improve the opportunities available to people with convictions at the lower end of the scale who have moved away from offending and want to get on with their lives and to become productive members of society. The Bill aims to do this by amending the current legal regime dealing with spent convictions. A spent conviction is not erased from the record. It does not rewrite a person’s history. Instead, after a specified period of time - referred to in this Bill as the rehabilitative period - and subject to certain conditions, a conviction is only required to be disclosed in certain specific and sensitive circumstances, for example when applying for certain types of employment or during the investigation of a criminal matter. The principle behind this is straightforward. If a person has demonstrated over a sustained period that they have not re-offended, the law should recognise that rehabilitation and allow an opportunity for a second chance.

Currently, the Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions and Certain Disclosures) Act 2016 permits a single conviction to become spent if it is handed down in the District Court, or if it carries less than 12 months’ imprisonment when handed down by any other court. Seven years must also pass from the date of conviction. The Act provides for some limited exceptions to the limit of a single conviction for certain common minor offences such as the majority of convictions in the District Court for minor public order offences; and the majority of convictions in the District Court for motoring offences, with the exception that only one dangerous driving conviction can become spent. However, sexual offences, sentences of imprisonment for 12 months or more, and offences which are tried in the Central Criminal Court cannot become spent. A conviction resulting in a non-custodial sentence of 24 months or less, where offenders are managed within the community, can also become spent after seven years. This includes suspended sentences of up to two years' imprisonment.

I will now turn to the Bill, which proposes significant amendments to the 2016 Act to provide for broader access to the spent convictions regime. It proposes to extend the existing spent convictions legislation to include non-custodial sentences of up to 48 months and custodial sentences of up to 24 months. Under the current system, individuals with more than one qualifying conviction are excluded from spent convictions. The Bill would remove that automatic exclusion. However, it introduces a safeguard whereby, if a new offence is committed within an existing rehabilitative period, that person’s convictions would remain unspent until the most recent rehabilitative period has expired. In doing this, the proposed system would reward those who demonstrate a sustained pattern of law-abiding behaviour.

Third, the Bill links the length of the sentence imposed on an offender to the length of the rehabilitative period. This introduces an element of proportionality to spent convictions and seeks to align the consequences more closely with the gravity of the offence. The Bill also provides for differential treatment for young adults aged 18 to 24. It recognises that this cohort is at a distinct developmental stage and proposes shorter rehabilitative periods. An amendment is proposed to the Children’s Act 2001 to ensure that children are not treated less favourably than young adults in comparable circumstances. The Bill includes a provision for a review of the operation of the amended legislation to commence no later than two years after enactment, with a further year allowed for the preparation of a report for the Oireachtas. An amendment is proposed to the Employment Equality Act 1998 that seeks to ensure that spent convictions are not a factor in recruitment and employment decisions.

The Bill, as initiated, sought to introduce significant reform to the current spent convictions regime. The reach of the Bill was further broadened by Committee Stage amendments in the Seanad following the publication of a report in 2019 by the Joint Committee on Justice. Following the 2019 report, the Department of Justice undertook additional analysis and commissioned comparative research examining how other jurisdictions approach similar issues. As part of this work, a public consultation process was carried out to consider spent convictions through the lens of sentence length and number of convictions; proportionality and youth; and the victim’s perspective. There is broad agreement that supporting access to employment and training for individuals involved in small-scale offending increases the likelihood of long-term disengagement from criminal activity and reduces re-offending.

The Deputies may be aware that the Department of justice is carrying out work in this area. The Department is working with other criminal justice stakeholders to provide supports to people who have ceased offending and assist them in developing the stability needed to successfully rehabilitate and move away from offending. The Building Pathways Together 2025-2027 strategy document was published in late 2024. This is the third successive employment-focused strategy produced by the Department. The aim is to remove barriers to employment for people with criminal convictions and to support employers who are willing to take on people with previous convictions. A key contribution to the development of the strategy was inputs from those with direct experiences of the impacts of contact with the criminal justice system.

It is important that we take great care in our approach to reforms of criminal justice provisions, ensuring that serious offences remain subject to appropriate safeguards. We must ensure clarity for individuals navigating the system and functionality for those operating within the criminal justice system, such as An Garda Síochána. The Minister is committed to engaging constructively on the Bill. The Department has carefully considered the available evidence, the findings of research, submissions received during consultation and the practical implications of the proposed reforms. The Government intends to bring forward amendments to ensure that the final legislation is robust, workable and balanced.

First, we propose to amend the matrix of rehabilitative periods set out in the Bill, which links the length of the sentence imposed to the length of the rehabilitative period. We fully support the principle underpinning this approach. However, in its current form, it would introduce a significant level of complexity to the operation of vetting disclosures.

It would also give rise to a substantial increase in the number of parameters that must be considered and to practical challenges in relation to data management and retention. This would risk the system becoming cumbersome and difficult to manage for those responsible for implementing the law. For that reason, proposed amendments will simplify the matrix, while retaining the core objective of greater proportionality. Further work is needed to refine the model in order that it strikes the right balance between fairness and practicality.

The Minister intends to introduce an amendment to address an important gap in the current law, namely convictions imposed by courts outside this jurisdiction. This is contemplated in the Bill in a limited manner in the proposed amendment to the Employment Equality Act 1998. As it stands, the law on spent convictions does not cover any sentences handed down by courts outside the State. In our increasingly interconnected world, this exclusion can create inequalities. Someone who is rehabilitated and has remained offence free for many years may continue to face barriers in Ireland simply because their conviction arose elsewhere. Therefore, an amendment will be brought forward to provide a mechanism whereby relevant convictions from outside the State may be considered within the scope of the legislation, subject, of course, to appropriate safeguards.

The inclusion of a statutory review mechanism in the Bill is welcome. Given the nature of the changes proposed, it is entirely appropriate that we assess their impact. However, the Government proposes that the review should commence after three years rather than two, which would allow more time for the collection and analysis of meaningful data. We will need to understand how the amended regime operates in practice and whether it has the intended impact on employment access and reintegration.

In the context of the proposed amendment to the Employment Equality Act 1998, the intention is that a person with spent convictions could not be treated less favourably or discriminated against by a prospective employer in relation to access to employment or conditions of employment. In the time since this Bill was last debated in 2021, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality has carried out a review of the Equality Acts and published the general scheme of the equality (miscellaneous provisions) Bill 2024. The Joint Committee on Children and Equality recommended in its pre-legislative scrutiny report that this issue should be addressed in that proposed legislation. I understand that this matter will be given due consideration during the drafting process. The objective for bringing forward these amendments is clear, namely to strengthen the Bill, ensure it is workable in practice and deliver a spent convictions regime that is fair, proportionate and capable of being effectively implemented. In doing so, we strengthen not only our justice system but also our society as a whole.

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister of State for taking the time to debate this. I welcome the Government's support for the Bill and look forward to debating any amendments on Committee Stage. That is the proper way to do business with the Opposition when a Bill comes forward that the Government does not wholeheartedly agree with because it gives us a chance to discuss amendments.

I thank Senator Ruane for the work she has done to bring this legislation to this point. The matter to which it relates is something she is very passionate about. It was mentioned the Bill was introduced in 2018. It is now 2026; we are getting there. It is testament to Senator Ruane's perseverance and tenacity that it has reached this point. I suggest that this Bill was in the making well before 2018. I was involved in similar lines of work and in the same organisations as Senator Ruane in the past ,and we came across an awful lot of people who could have done with this Bill.

I thank Deputy Gannon for bringing the Bill to the floor of the Dáil. He was right to acknowledge his staff because they often go unseen in the work they do for us. I was going to say that they make us look good, but they do well to make me look good. Anyway, I acknowledge the work they have done.

The purpose of the Bill is to allow a broader range of minor convictions to become spent after a proportionate rehabilitative period. This will make it easy for people who have moved on from past offences to access employment, education, housing and other opportunities without lifelong stigma. I am from an area of high disadvantage. In the course of a debate not that long ago, I mentioned that parts of my area – the area I grew up in – are going backwards on the Pobal deprivation index. It is one of the few areas in Dublin that is regressing instead of progressing. The issue that underlies everything in areas like mine is poverty. It is not just poverty of finances; it is poverty of opportunity and hope. One thing we are not poor in is trauma. Trauma is often intergenerational as a result of the fact that it is historical State-inflicted trauma. I am going back here to the industrial schools, the Christian Brothers, the Magdalen laundries and the mother and baby homes. You can see the outcomes of that intergenerational trauma in areas like mine.

The data would indicate that communities like mine are disproportionately affected by crime. Young people from my area, at different times in their lives and on the basis of their current circumstances, will make choices. The choices they make at those times may affect them as they get older. Levels of addiction in areas like mine are also disproportionately higher than in other areas. When a person does not have the opportunity to remove themselves physically from a disadvantaged area, drink and drugs often give them that opportunity. It is not called getting out of your head for nothing, and it can give a person a brief break from trauma.

Something communities like mine experience a lot more than other more affluent communities is being stopped and searched. When I was growing up in north Clondalkin, we used to play a game. I would be going to the shop for my mother when I was young and I would be stopped and searched. This happened all the time, so we used to have a game to see whose turn it was to get stopped and searched. We would have nothing apart from our football boots with us; it was just a part of growing up in the area. Due to the number of searches taking place now, you are going to come across a lot more people who may have, say, drugs for personal use in their possession. If a young person gets a charge for personal drug use, it can follow them for the remainder of their lives, whether that is in the context of job opportunities, travel or housing.

I will give an example. I have been advocate for the Irish homeless football team for a long time. I referred people to the team over the years. Senator Ruane did the same. Sean Kavanagh and his team give people who have experienced homelessness or addiction an opportunity to play football weekly. This culminates in an all-Ireland event, which, as the Minister of State knows, is held every year in Kiltipper is in his constituency. Teams from all over the State play in the tournament, and there is an all-Ireland champion at the end of it. During that process, there is also an opportunity to represent your country by travelling abroad and playing for the Irish team at the Homeless World Cup. Players only get this opportunity once. That is to give everybody a fair chance. If you represent your country one time, that is your chance gone and it is someone else's turn. I have trained with the lads every so often and know that the standard of football is really high. The competition is recognised and supported by the FAI. The players who represent their country abroad at the Homeless World Cup receive international caps. The caps are the same as the ones Roy Keane, Robbie Keane and Paul McGrath received. It is the dream of every boy and young woman interested in soccer to represent their country, and it is a fantastic achievement for the players who are selected. The Ireland team’s best result was in 2005 when they finished fifth in the competition in Scotland. It has completed all over the world, including in Korea and Africa. The players have represented their country with pride. There has even been a film made. Colin Farrell made a documentary, which was very good, about it a couple of years ago.

In 2023, the Homeless World Cup was held in America. The players went through all their trials. They went out weekly and took part in the all-Ireland event, probably up in Kiltipper. What should have been one of the proudest movements of their lives quickly turned sour. The majority of the men’s team were refused visas to travel to America. The result was that for the very first time since the inception of the Homeless World Cup, our men’s team was not able to participate. The reason they were not allowed into America related to minor convictions they picked up when they were affected by addiction, homelessness or maybe just as a result of being from areas of disadvantage. One of the coaches who dedicates his time to looking after these lads was also refused entry. He had a conviction from decades ago, not last week or last year. He has been giving his life to give these lads a better chance. This is a real-life example of how minor convictions can follow someone for life. No matter how much an individual has grown as a person or how much they have contributed to society in the meantime, previous convictions can follow them.

Sinn Féin supports the Bill. The next challenge is to get it onto the agenda of the justice committee.

It is to be hoped it will progress from there. I look forward to any further debates. With Government support, I would like to see this progress over the next couple of months. Again, I thank Senator Ruane for the dedicated work she has done to get the Bill to this stage. I have introduced legislation, as has Deputy Gannon. It is really difficult from the Opposition to get anything to this Stage. The fact that she has managed to do it is a testament and it gives me a little bit of hope that if we just keep plugging away, we might get something through as well.

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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Aontaím le go leor rudaí is a bhí an Teachta Ward ag rá. Ar dtús, gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir Ruane as go leor rudaí. Tá sí an-chairdiúil agus gach rud mar sin. Tá sí tar éis á lán oibre a chur isteach sa Bhille seo. Ní féidir é sin a rá faoi go leor daoine. Tá sí tar éis obair na gcapall a dhéanamh. I commend her on that. I also thank Deputy Gannon for continuing the push to support an issue to move forward in the House, and for his continuous work in this matter.

The Bill is ultimately about something very simple. It is about second chances. We all recognise that when someone commits a crime, there must be consequences. That is how our justice system works and how the majority of justice systems work in well-run countries. We also have to recognise that there is another reality. I have met a lot of constituents who have served sentences and stayed out of trouble, started a life, started a family and demonstrated that they have moved on with their life. We should allow them the opportunity to rebuild that life. That is what the Bill really should lean into.

Aontaím le go leor rudaí is a bhí an Teachta Ward ag rá. Tá mé ag tnúth go mór leis an gcomhrá ar fad agus gach duine sa Teach seo ag cur gach rud le chéile. Tá sé an-tábhachtach go mbeimid ag labhairt faoin Bhille agus go dtiocfaidh sé isteach chomh luath agus is féidir. A criminal conviction can follow a person for many years. After a sentence is served, it can affect a person's ability to get a job, find housing or access education. In many cases these barriers make it much harder for someone to move forward and contribute positively to society, which contradicts the very essence of our criminal justice system in respect of rehabilitation. The Bill recognises that reality. The proposals for the broadening of access to the spent convictions regime really does create a fairer society where people who have demonstrated rehabilitation over time can move on past their mistakes. We have all made mistakes. I would also like to join an Teachta Ward, who is gone now, regarding the football Senator Ruane is involved in. I went into Mountjoy and we played football. I could not hit snow off a rope; I think we lost eight-nil. I am more of a rugby man.

The Bill proposes to broaden access to spent convictions. It does not erase a person's history. Convictions remain on record but it limits when they can be disclosed. It recognises that people who have stayed out of trouble for a sustained period should be able to move forward. I do believe that.

I thank Deputy Gannon for speaking to me and showing me his insight and knowledge. There is a fair and balanced approach. I welcome the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan's proposal not to oppose the Bill on Second Stage. Looking at evidence is what we should base all of our actions on, whether it be in respect of climate, energy, housing or our justice system. We know from evidence that when people can access employment, education and stable housing, they are far less likely to reoffend. It is just logic. This is not just about fairness to individuals. It is also about building safer communities and a better society as a whole.

I like that the Bill recognises the particular circumstances of young adults, particularly from my constituency of north Dublin, who are often still developing and making mistakes early in life. We should not permanently close doors for young men and women in this country. At its core, the legislation is about recognising rehabilitation, especially when someone has demonstrated over time that they have stayed out of trouble and positively contributed. I thank Deputy Gannon for reintroducing it and commend Senator Ruane. She is ferocious with her work. This Bill is unbelievable and it needs to be done. This is a sensible and balanced reform that supports rehabilitation, strengthens communities and will really help the people of north Dublin and the people of Ireland as a whole.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputies for bringing forward their proposals for these amendments to the legislation and for their contributions this evening. I assure them that the Government has listened and agrees with the overarching aim to provide for broader access to spent convictions.

This is a highly technical and complex Bill with consequences for a number of different Acts which touch on sensitive and difficult areas concerning the disclosure of criminal convictions. This Bill aims to extend eligibility for the current spent convictions regime to more people with longer sentences and to remove the automatic exclusion for people with multiple convictions. It increases proportionality by linking rehabilitative periods to the length of a sentence. It also provides for a formal review of the effects of these changes.

The Bill was amended on Committee Stage in the Seanad following the publication of a report in 2019 by the joint committee on justice. The amendments broadened the reach of the Bill and provided detail to the proposals. From 2019 to 2021, the Department of justice commissioned and carried out comparative research examining how other jurisdictions approach similar issues and conducted a public consultation process into the current spent convictions regime. As noted earlier, the previous Government agreed in 2021 that the Private Member's Bill would be passed through the Dáil, subject to any amendments that would be required. The amendments that will be introduced are aimed at making this Bill work effectively so that it can deliver real benefits in practice.

As with any new legislation, it is important to commit the necessary time and effort to ensuring that the provisions will actually do what is intended and that they do not cause problems elsewhere or create unintended consequences. The Minister’s officials will work with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to draft the necessary amendments to the provisions. As it does with all new legislation, the OPC will scrutinise the Bill itself in great detail as well closely examining the impacts it will have on the other legislation it seeks to amend. This is an essential safeguard to ensure the integrity of the law, especially where it has the potential to affect sensitive matters like the vetting protections the Oireachtas has put in place for children and vulnerable people. With the right approach, grounded in engagement between the Department of justice, the Bill’s sponsors and the OPC, the necessary amendments can be developed within a carefully designed framework.

I thank the Deputies for submitting these proposals to the Dáil for this debate and to those present for their contributions to the discussion.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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It is never not a privilege to stand in this Chamber. Ever single day I take a breath and realise how important the work is that happens here, but this evening was a genuine privilege. It was a real honour to be here to discuss an issue that too often went undiscussed. I thank the Ministers of State for their contributions and the Department officials for their engagement. I look forward to bringing it to Committee Stage alongside Senator Ruane. I thank Deputies Heneghan and Ward for their contributions. It was genuinely lovely to hear the kind words said about Senator Ruane and her passion and conviction for bringing a Bill of this importance to the Chamber. Given the fact that I mentioned my own staff in our office, it would be remiss of me not to mention Lynn's parliamentary assistant, Robert Somerville, who is in the Gallery today and has also done amazing work in bringing this forward. Days like today show what can be achieved in politics with some perseverance. The capacity to work collaboratively across the Chamber and the fact that this is progressing to Third Stage is a reflection of nobody else's but Senator Ruane's heart, commitment and effort.

The Government has referred to some amendments. Lots of them have merit in them and I look forward to engaging on them at the committee.

Paula Butterly (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Before I adjourn the House, I wish all of you an enjoyable and happy St. Patrick's Day.