Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to inform the Senator it is not my intention to oppose amendments Nos. 21 to 23, inclusive, which will extend section 14(a) of the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 to include Circuit Court convictions and therefore attempt to harmonise the equivalent related provisions of the Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions and Certain Disclosures) Act 2016 with those of the 2012 Act. Simply put, the amendments appear to be designed to provide that those Circuit Court convictions that may become spent under the 2016 Act will be treated as such under the 2012 Act. Senators will appreciate I will need to consult further across the criminal justice sector, not least with the National Vetting Bureau, because implications will arise from the amendments.

As I stated in the case of other amendments, while I will not oppose the amendments before us at this stage, I ask Senators to bear with me on the basis that I may consider tabling appropriate and necessary amendments to the section at a later stage. In the meantime, I commit to all five Senators that there will be a significant degree of consultation with a view to reaching an agreement before Report Stage.