I know, but collegiality is not a reason to accept an amendment.

Deputy McAuliffe mentioned something. There was a difficult passage between me getting into office and me introducing this legislation into the Houses of the Oireachtas-----

-----and it involved getting a lot of different views and advices. I remember a lot of coverage a year ago where lots of groups were opposed to this and it was all about the issues that could arise in respect of it. I have managed to get a balancing area - a landing area - that has the support of the House, which is the most significant thing, and has also enabled me to get advice from the Attorney General telling me that we can proceed with this. As Deputy McAuliffe mentioned a few moments ago, what I do not want …

I thank the Deputy for his amendment. The legislation we are discussing today is proposing to insert a new section into the Domestic Violence Act 2018. This will be the section referred to as the domestic violence register of judgments. That means this part of the legislation has to be consistent with the Domestic Violence Act 2018 in general. That Act already refers to relevant persons in the offence of coercive control and in specifying the circumstances in which a relationship should be treated as an aggravating…

There will be a post-enactment review after one year under Dáil Standing Orders and the Standing Orders of the Seanad. That will be done. I am conscious people will be raising the issue here with me. I will not accept the amendment but there will be a requirement for me to come back to produce a post-enactment report within 12 months.

Deputy Carthy makes a very important point. It is important that people do not assume that someone has no domestic violence convictions simply because their name does not appear on the register of judgments. That is a point that has to be emphasised. While I cannot accept the amendment, this is because the level of operational detail proposed is not suitable for primary legislation. Embedding such granular requirements in statute could actually limit flexibility and create unnecessary constraints as the system deve…

Again, it is an important point that Deputy Carthy makes but it is also important to note that the court will have discretion to decide whether a judgment should be included in the register. Those factors that are set out in Deputy Carthy's amendment will certainly be given consideration by a judge in exercising that discretion. Any judge exercising that discretion will access all of the circumstances of the case, including the situation of the offender, the victim and any child connected to the matter. Issues of s…

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle in the first instance for presiding over these Stages of the legislation. I am very pleased that this legislation has been enacted. I want to thank a few people very briefly. I thank Deputy McAuliffe for introducing me to Jason Poole. I thank Senator O'Loughlin for her work on this issue in the Seanad. I thank colleagues in this House for their support on this legislation. I thank officials in my Department for their tireless work in respect of ensuring that we navigate this legisl…

The first four amendments in this group are minor drafting corrections. They corrected the wording in four places so that the Bill reads consistently. It is changing the word "references" to "a reference". They make no change to the substance or effect of the Bill. The fifth amendment was, again, a technical amendment ensuring that we apply the provisions of the 1991 Act relating to the appointment of a guardian ad litem to proceedings heard under the new Part. The only substantive change was that the new drafting …

The policy intention behind the new section 12G is that the proceedings to which it refers will be heard primarily in the District Court. When the relevant provisions of the Family Courts Act 2024 are commenced, these proceedings will be heard in the family district court. The intention is the same as in the Bill as initiated, but I am advised that this form of words will better accomplish the goal.

I recognise the presence of David French and of Valerie French's family. I commend and thank them and acknowledge the enormous work they did in campaigning for this. This change to the law was recommended in a report on familicide back in 2023. David French absorbed it, ran with it and campaigned for it. I met him in a television studio in January 2025. I gave him a commitment that I would seek to change the law through the Houses of the Oireachtas and now this is done. I commend him and the family of Valerie Frenc…

Before we start, a number of typographical errors that have been identified in the Bill, as amended by the Seanad. Pursuant to Standing Order 203, I request the Ceann Comhairle to direct the Clerk to make the following corrections of a typographical nature to the Bill. In Seanad amendments Nos. 46, 57, 68, 84 and 85, in respect of the inserted subsection (6)(b) of section 68, subsection (1) of section 79, subsection (2) of section 90, item 19 of Schedule 2 and item 1 of Schedule 3, respectively, I ask that the Cler…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle.

Amendments Nos. 1, 2 and 81 have been grouped and I will speak to them together. Amendments Nos. 1 and 2 relate to the commencement of the Bill and amend section 1(4), which provides for said commencement. Currently, provision is made for all provisions to be commenced by ministerial order, with certain listed exceptions which are to come into effect on enactment. Amendments Nos. 1 and 2 amend section 1(4) to provide for the following provisions of the Bill as passed by Dáil Éireann, to come into effect on enactmen…

These amendments relate to the authority of An Garda Síochána to deploy radio frequency jammers to counteract drones. I am advised that these legislative amendments are necessary to confirm that An Garda Síochána has the legal powers where necessary and proportionate to deal with dangerous or hostile drone activity through the use of what are called “radio frequency jammers”. Amendments Nos. 3 and 4 are technical in nature and simply deal with references to the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1926 and the Policing, Securit…

These amendments relate to the non-judicial role of the Chief Justice. Amendment No. 9 deals with section 6 of the Bill as passed by the Dáil. It amends section 67 of the Courts of Justice Act 1936, which provides for the superior courts rules committee to allow the Chief Justice to nominate an ordinary judge of the Supreme Court. These changes are being introduced to reduce the non-judicial workload of the Chief Justice and the respective courts. Amendments Nos. 10 to 18, inclusive, amend section 8 of the Bill as …

Amendment No. 19 inserts a new section into the Bill to amend section 10 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1984. It inserts new subsections (2) to (6) into section 10 to provide a statutory basis for the admissibility of certificates of results of Garda-administered presumptive drug testing, PDT. It introduces a legal presumption in favour of the evidential value of such certificates subject to rebuttal evidence. Amendment No. 29 inserts a new section into the Bill to amend section 154 of the Criminal Justice (Forensic Ev…

These amendments, in fairness to Deputy Carthy, arise as a result of an amendment he tabled on Committee Stage and Report Stage in the Dáil. I accepted his amendment, which inserts a new section into the Criminal Justice Act 1993 to provide that where a person is convicted of any indictable offence, character evidence for sentencing purposes must be given on oath or by affidavit. That amendment was included as section 17 of the Bill as passed by the Dáil. The purpose of amendments Nos. 20, 21 and 22 is to tighten u…

That is for sexual offences.

It predated the legislation.