Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 456: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his proposals to put the crime of perjury on a statutory footing. [13556/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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Perjury, that is, the giving of false evidence on oath or affirmation, is an offence at common law, although a number of statutes also address matters incidental to the offence. The offence is committed by any person lawfully sworn as a witness or as an interpreter in a judicial proceeding who wilfully makes a statement, material in that proceeding, which he or she knows to be false or does not believe to be true. The maximum penalty is imprisonment for seven years. The present law relating to perjury is being examined in my Department with a view to the preparation of legislative proposals which will codify the law on perjury.