IPRT has been campaigning around the need for Spent Convictions legislation for over six years and has made a number of submissions to Government and the Oireachtas on previous drafts of legislation. The key issues which we identified in our submissions on the earlier drafts of the Bill remain at the centre of our position on the present Bill. These are:
• The need for the Bill to apply to a wide range of convictions.
• The need for the rehabilitation periods to be set at reasonable, proportionate and practical levels.
• Any differential treatment of particular areas of employment should be kept to a minimum and must be justified.

The present Bill also raises some other issues which we have addressed in our proposed amendments as detailed in this paper. However, overall IPRT is strongly supportive of the general approach taken, and we hope that the Bill can be enacted as quickly as possible.