Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I rise in support of my two colleagues in respect of this amendment. Senator McDowell pointed to silly things people do in their young lives that can haunt them for the rest of their lives and we frequently hear of learned judges treating young students sympathetically because a criminal offence will follow that student for the rest of his or her life. Such students will not be able to travel to the United States and there will be many things they cannot do.It will interfere with their career. With regard to a simple fracas some night when someone is out or stealing a chocolate bar, as my colleagues have said, people do not like thieves and people who misbehave when they are out at night but the one thing that everybody in this country hates is corruption. We constantly hear talk of corruption. It seems to be ingrained in our system that corruption is the most heinous of all crimes and I agree. What can be wrong with somebody who is charged with an offence of corruption saying he or she wants to be judged by their peers and not by a single individual in a court? As Senator McDowell said, the taking of a few bob to let a fellow park in a car park can be enough to have someone labelled corrupt and this will follow him or her through for the rest of his or her life.

I will not waste the Minister's time because I believe he will accept this amendment. I cannot see any way he would reject it. He has had the advice of a former Minister for Justice and Attorney General and, therefore, I ask him to accept the amendment and not push it to a vote.