Derek McDowell (Labour)

On the Order of Business and Leaders' Questions with Deputies addressing issues to my face, giving out and wagging fingers at me, I must sit and remain silent with the Taoiseach or the Tánaiste answering on my behalf. This was my first opportunity to come and give my side of the story. Deputy Kenny sought figures on section 1(2), which relates to intent. Section 2 of the Act is the misdemeanour section. I believe there may have been some crossed wires in that regard. I will attempt to gather those figures, but it will not be easy.

I want Senator Cummins to know that the records are difficult to unravel. A prisoner may arrive in prison with 12 or 15 committal warrants. To calculate which of them are still running, and verify which of them are extant and which of them were not the subject of an appeal, is slightly more complex than the Senator might imagine. The Fine Gael Party has a Bill before the Dáil seeking a register of these matters. Ms Justice Denham is putting such a register in place within the Courts Service without legislation. That project is happening and it would be a great help to have all criminal convictions in all their complexity recorded on a computer so we can know what criminality is being dealt with in the courts.

A Senator asked whether there is such a thing as a sex offenders' register. Yes there is.