David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This amendment makes a change to the commencement provisions of the Bill to allow that certain provisions, particularly provisions relating to the use of screens in courtrooms to prevent a victim from having visual contact with the accused person, may be commenced for different courts or areas at different times. The purpose of the amendment is to allow for a phased roll-out of the provisions on the use of screens over time as necessary equipment becomes available in different courts. It mirrors existing commencement provisions in the Criminal Evidence Act 1992 that applied to other special measures for the protection of vulnerable witnesses under that Act.