I thank the Deputies for bringing forward their proposals for these amendments to the legislation and for their contributions this evening. I assure them that the Government has listened and agrees with the overarching aim to provide for broader access to spent convictions. This is a highly technical and complex Bill with consequences for a number of different Acts which touch on sensitive and difficult areas concerning the disclosure of criminal convictions. This Bill aims to extend eligibility for the current spent convictions regime to more people with longer sentences and to remove the automatic exclusion for people with multiple convictions. It increases proportionality by linking rehabilitative periods to the length of a sentence. It also provides for a formal review of the effects of these changes. The Bill was amended on Committee Stage in the Seanad following the publication of a report in 2019 by the joint committee on justice. The amendments broadened the reach of the Bill and provided detail to the proposals. From 2019 to 2021, the Department of justice commissioned and carried out comparative research examining how other jurisdictions approach similar issues and conducted a public consultation process into the current spent convictions regime. As noted earlier, the previous Government agreed in 2021 that the Private Member's Bill would be passed through the Dáil, subject to any amendments that would be required. The amendments that will be introduced are aimed at making this Bill work effectively so that it can deliver real benefits in practice. As with any new legislation, it is important to commit the necessary time and effort to ensuring that the provisions will actually do what is intended and that they do not cause problems elsewhere or create unintended consequences. The Minister’s officials will work with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to draft the necessary amendments to the provisions. As it does with all new legislation, the OPC will scrutinise the Bill itself in great detail as well closely examining the impacts it will have on the other legislation it seeks to amend. This is an essential safeguard to ensure the integrity of the law, especially where it has the potential to affect sensitive matters like the vetting protections the Oireachtas has put in place for children and vulnerable people. With the right approach, grounded in engagement between the Department of justice, the Bill’s sponsors and the OPC, the necessary amendments can be developed within a carefully designed framework. I thank the Deputies for submitting these proposals to the Dáil for this debate and to those present for their contributions to the discussion.

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