I am grateful for the Deputy's insight and his sharing his experiences. If he has any suggestions, we will absolutely take them on board because we are always open to taking on board new and positive suggestions as regards updating or amending our strategy in this regard. I commented on our youth diversion projects but I want to comment on our plans to extend youth diversion programmes to people once they pass the age of 18. Our strategy includes actions to develop diversion-based responses for young adults aged 18…

I thank the Deputy for that. He has a particular interest as regards Cork. We have seen an increase in funding since 2022 and, specifically, an overall increase in funding for the Cork youth diversion projects in the order of €1.8 million. I have here a statement in tabular format detailing the increase in funding which I will have our officials forward on to the Deputy afterwards. He is right, and that increase in funding should and does alleviate the types of issues he has raised in terms of numeracy and literacy…

The programme for Government commits to creating a transport security force. While this is a priority, responsibility for its establishment lies with the Department of Transport and the National Transport Authority. On 18 June, the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, met with the Minister for Transport to discuss the proposed transport security force. The Department of Transport is developing the necessary legislative proposals but the model remains under consideration and the process is at an early stage. New legislatio…

The Deputy is right that this is at the early stages and is in development. It is a priority, as I have outlined. The new transport force will have to interact with An Garda Síochána and that will be an operational issue for both organisations. It is primarily a matter for the parties involved to work out how they will operate the new system once the new transport security force is put in place. The aim of all concerned is to improve the security of the public who are using public transport. I know that An Garda Sí…

We discussed at length earlier the whole issue of Garda recruitment. As the Deputy knows, it is a significant priority in the programme for Government to increase Garda recruitment by about 5,000 over the lifetime of this Government. We have made a very good and resounding start. Last month, in June, another 170 trainees entered Templemore, following on from 201 in March, the largest intake since 2019. Some 120 new gardaí were attested in June and 74 of those were assigned to the Dublin metropolitan region, which i…

I thank Senator Stephenson for her work on this Bill and Senator Ryan for her amendment and sharing her personal experiences and insights. I thank all Members for their contributions. On the proposed amendment, while I acknowledge it is Senator Stephenson's Bill, the proposed amendment is accepted. Legal advice will, of course, be required to allow for due consideration. It is also important to emphasise that the conduct of any court case is a matter entirely for the presiding judge. The courts are subject only to …

I thank the Senators for their contributions again. I refer to the recent Women's Aid report and acknowledge that it makes for very distressing reading. The data is very stark. The work being done by Women's Aid in this space helps victims of domestic violence to speak up and ensure they feel supported when they do so. The volume speaks to both the scale and the challenge, but also to a growing willingness to recognise, name and call out abuse and a growing willingness for victims and survivors to come forward and …

I will not speak. The Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, has spoken on the motions.

That is the way it goes.

I move: That Dáil Éireann resolves that section 8 of the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009 (No. 32 of 2009) shall continue in operation for the period beginning on 30th June, 2025 and ending on 29th June, 2026.

We have 42 amendments in nine groupings. Is that correct?

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this very interesting and important Private Members' Bill. I acknowledge the intentions of Senators Flynn, Black, Higgins and Ruane in bringing this forward in the first place in 2022 and in keeping the subject alive since then. It is a feature of language that our understanding of words and phrases develops over time. This is particularly relevant in light of new knowledge coming from research into the causes of crime and other issues in society. While the term "child pornogra…

I thank the Senators who spoke. I do not seek to oppose these amendments. However, there are some issues that were raised on Second Stage and these still remain. I am advised that it is not normal practice to amend the Long and Short Titles of statutes. However, I understand that no legal or constitutional reason has so far been identified as to why these amendments would not be possible. Indeed, this was done as part of the statute law revision project, which was aimed at simplifying the often long and confusing t…

I have nothing to add.

I thank the Senator and welcome the amendment to the language this Private Members’ Bill will insert into existing legislation. We are not opposing it. The legal advice received by our Department when this issue was first considered indicated using the phrase “child sexual exploitation material” could have unwelcome consequences for legislation that already uses similar language. Using the phrase “child sexual abuse material” appears to address this problem and is in line with international good practice. This term…

I welcome the Senator's proposal for a transitional provision to address concerns that the amendments could give rise to unwelcome effects on the Sex Offenders Act 2001, which is the legislation that provides, among other things, for the sex offenders register. It is essential that the legislation not be adversely impacted by any changes that we might wish to introduce. While I am advised that this provision will require further consideration during drafting in order to ensure that it has the intended effect, I do …

I have nothing to add. I spoke on this group of amendments earlier.

We do not intend to oppose the amendment. I am advised that the provision for what is termed "Legal continuity" would need further consideration in drafting in order to ensure it has the full effect and broad reach that appears to be intended, but any issues are not insurmountable.

We are not opposing this amendment, but we have reservations about it. I am advised that this provision, which relates to evidence and procedure, is fraught with legal risk and would require careful consideration of its potential for undesirable impacts upon criminal investigations and court procedures. Given the strong likelihood of legal challenges to the judicial processes and procedures that culminate in the imprisonment of offenders that could arise from the changes to be introduced by this amendment, it may n…

We are not opposing it.