Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Amendment No. 3 amends section 20 of the Bill, which provides a definition of "sexual act". The meaning of "sexual intercourse" has been added to the existing definition in the Bill. It replicates the definition of "sexual act" under the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2006.

Amendments Nos. 61 and 62 have been made to allow the offences contained in sections 21 and 22 of the Bill, which are offences involving protected persons and offences by people in authority, to be included in the Schedule to the Bail Act 1997, by way of the amendment to that Act contained in section 48 of the Bill as it was passed by the Seanad. Under the 1997 Act, bail may be refused to a person charged with a serious offence when such a refusal is considered necessary to prevent the commission of a serious offence carrying a maximum sentence of at least five years. Serious offences for bail purposes are specified in the Schedule to the 1997 Act.