Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I accept amendments Nos. 8,10,12 and 14 on the basis that they are technical amendments that apply to section 5 regarding the removal of the references to "and over" which allows the relevant subsections to read more clearly and appropriately.

I am not opposing amendments Nos. 7,9,11 and 13. These relate to increasing the age at which the provisions of this Bill specific to the young adult cohort may apply from the age of 23 to the age of 25. Amendments Nos. 27 and 28 amend the Schedule to the Bill in terms of reflecting the proposed changes in section 5 to the increased qualifying age of the young adult and I do not oppose these amendments. I note that this policy angle is consistent with recommendation No. 9 of the joint committee report on spent convictions. I am not objecting in principle to this but as with some of the other amendments, I will need to give careful consideration to the detail of how these provisions will operate. The implications of the overall regime being proposed through the Bill will also need to include detailed consideration of the views of An Garda Síochána, as well as the Probation Service, the Irish Prison Service and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, as well as legal assessments from the Office of the Attorney General. I am merely flagging the possibility that I will bring my own amendments to this section of the Bill at a later stage.