Brian Walsh (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 493: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he plans to introduce legislation to provide for the expungement of criminal convictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15401/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I intend to publish the Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012 very shortly. The Bill will allow former offenders to withhold details of certain qualifying convictions once certain conditions have been met and an appropriate conviction-free period has been completed. The Bill will not entail the deletion of a criminal record but rather the non-disclosure of the conviction in certain circumstances. Convictions for sexual offences and offences reserved for trial by the Central Criminal Court (e.g. murder and rape) will be excluded from benefiting under the Bill, while persons applying for positions of employment involving the care of children and