Gay community affected by historic Irish laws invited to aid public consultation

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said the scheme aims to exonerate those impacted by these outdated laws.

People affected by the criminalisation of gay sexual activity are being asked to contribute to a public consultation about the development of a scheme to disregard historic convictions.

Sexual activity between men was decriminalised in Ireland in 1993.

The consultation process has been launched by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee, with people affected by historic convictions invited to make submissions, based on their lived experience.

A working group will then consider the recommendations brought forward in the consultation process.

Ms McEntee said: “We want to ensure that any potential scheme is as effective and accessible as possible so that we can exonerate those impacted by these outdated laws and address some of the lingering harms of the past. 

"I would encourage any of the affected men, their families, loved ones, and the wider LGBTQ+ community to engage with this consultation so that we can be mindful of their unique perspectives as we move forward.” 

The consultation survey will consist of seven questions, including how a potential scheme could be made more accessible, how to encourage participation in the scheme and how to minimise the potential for re-traumatising applicants, amongst other issues.

Research paper

The Green Party’s justice spokesman, Patrick Costello, said he commissioned a research paper earlier this year on similar schemes in other jurisdictions to see how Ireland could learn from their experiences.

“The Free State that came into existence in 1922 was one which was dogmatically Catholic," he said. 

"Anyone who fell outside that narrow prism was victim to a state-led campaign of persecution. We are finally starting to address that shameful legacy through legislation around the Magdalene Laundries and Mother and Baby Homes. 

"For the LGBTQ+ community this is a really positive step," he added.

“Irish people today are rightly proud of our 2015 referendum on marriage equality. We must remember however this was the culmination of a long campaign by activists to secure equal rights. 

"It was only in 1993 that homosexuality was decriminalised in this jurisdiction. Prior to that point thousands of individuals were arrested and convicted of consensual acts between adults. Many of these individuals are still alive and deserve to no longer be branded as convicted criminals.” 

The survey can be found here and the deadline for completion is 5pm on Friday, December 9.