Penal reform group encourages employers to consider recruiting people with convictions

This week’s Working with Conviction seminar comes around a year and a half after the Department of Justice commenced legislation allowing for some minor offences to become spent after seven years.

Fíona Ní Chinnéide, IPRT acting director, told the seminar that people with convictions “can offer huge potential to any workforce, and are highly motivated when given the opportunity to work”.

She added: “However, preconceptions often prevent employers from seeing beyond the conviction. These preconceptions can stray into recruitment for education and training courses.

“Because of this, having a criminal history can present life-long obstacles to work, education, training and other aspects of life. Studies show that being able to access employment and training is crucial in preventing a return to offending, which, in turn, strengthens communities and makes society safer.”

James Timpson OBE, chief executive of Timpson Limited, gave a keynote address at the event. Around 10 per cent of his firm’s workforce - around 400 people - are ex-offenders.

Ms Ní Chinnéide said: “James Timpson’s positive experience of recruiting and working with ex-offenders clearly highlights the benefits to employers of including people with convictions in their workforce, while at the same time helping these people to rebuild a life after committing an offence.

“Under the Spent Convictions legislation, which was signed into law in Ireland last year, employers can no longer ask for information about certain minor convictions more than seven years old. This is removing barriers to employment, education and training for tens of thousands of people in Ireland who have moved on from their offending behaviour.

“While this legislation has been a step in the right direction, it is limited in its application and we urge the Government to increase the range of convictions eligible to become spent.

“We also call on Irish employers to look beyond criminal records and not to impose blanket bans on people with convictions but instead take a proportionate response to information that is disclosed.”

The seminar also featured a panel discussion including Paddy Richardson, chief executive of IASIO (Irish Association for the Social Integration of Offenders); Niall Walsh, manager of the Pathways Centre; barrister-at-law Mairéad Deevy; and Philip Richardson, former youth cultivator at the Solas Project.