The report of the working group established by the Department of Justice to look at the issue of quashing historical convictions for the committing of sexual acts between consenting men has now been finalised, Minister of State at the department James Browne has said.
Mr Browne told RTÉ's The Week in Politics that the issue was a complicated one to address but “a priority for the Government” which wanted any measures introduced to address it to be “as extensive and as inclusive as possible”.
At least 941 men were convicted of offences of this nature until the legislation was repealed by the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993. Marking the 25th anniversary of that legislation, the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, issued a formal apology in 2018 to gay men who were criminalised for their sexual orientation.
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Speaking on Sunday, Mr Browne said “the working group has completed its recommendations, it finalised them and will be giving them to Minister [Helen] McEntee as soon as she returns on the first of June. This is a priority for this Government.
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“The criminal convictions for homosexuals, for bisexual men, the harm that was done by this criminalising is still continuing to this day to affect families or to affect men across this country. So, we want to see that happen as quickly as possible because it is a priority.”
Pressed for a timeframe during which the required measures might be delivered, Mr Browne said it was not possible to give one at this stage.
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“It needs to happen right. It needs to be as extensive and as inclusive as possible. Because it is quite a complicated legal situation to try to address. We want to get that right. If it requires legislation, then that will happen as quickly as possible as well.”
In the Seanad last week, Senator Fintan Warfield had said “time is of the essence” and that the Government had made a commitment to act on the issue which it “should honour”.
