Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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582. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality when the Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill will come before Dail Éireann and be debated and voted on; his view on spent convictions and ways to deal with this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19281/14]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012 provides for the non-disclosure of certain convictions in certain circumstances and is intended to assist with the rehabilitation of former offenders. The Bill has passed Committee Stage in the Dáil, having passed all stages in the Seanad. However, before the Bill could be taken at Report Stage, a 2013 UK Court of Appeal judgment necessitated a review of the disclosure provisions in both the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 and in the Spent Convictions Bill. That review has been completed and amendments to the Vetting Act and consequential amendments to the Spent Convictions Bill are currently being drafted. It is my intention that the Bill will be enacted as soon as possible.