2199. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if provision exists within the Domestic Violence Judgments Register Act 2026 to ensure that a person cannot circumvent discovery of their inclusion on the register through changing their name, for example, by deed poll; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61007/26]

Combatting all forms of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) is a priority for this Government and one that is reflected in a range of policies and legislation, as well as unprecedented increases in budget allocations.

The Domestic Violence Judgments Register Act 2026 provides a mechanism whereby those convicted of domestic violence against a partner or former partner can be included on a Register of Judgments. A publicly available Register of Judgments will assist people who are in a relationship, or considering a relationship with a person, to ascertain whether they have a history of serious domestic violence convictions.

The legislation inserts a Part 3A into the Domestic Violence Act 2018 and applies to convictions on indictment for serious domestic violence offences. It creates a structure through which relevant judgments may be published to supplement the existing means of publicity, such as through media attendance and reporting on proceedings. It does not constitute an additional form of punishment.

The trial judge has discretion to issue a judgment in an appropriate case, which will contain details of conviction and sentence, as well as any other information relevant to the offence that the judge deems appropriate. Only in cases where the victim consents to publication will this step be considered. Judgments will be published online by the Courts Service, under a specific heading of “Domestic Violence Register Judgments”.

The legislation includes a procedure whereby a convicted person in respect of whom a Register Judgment has been published may apply for removal from the Register, no earlier than three years following conviction. However, such removal will be at the discretion of the Court.

Judgments produced by the Courts are a snapshot of the situation on the day the judgment is produced. It is not normal practice to update judgments delivered by any court, and doing so could present operational and legal complexities. It should be noted that the Register is one of a number of initiatives being progressed to address DSGBV. It sits alongside and complements other preventative and protective measures such as Operation Devise and the Sex Offenders Register.

The information will be presented in a way that is linked insofar as possible with domestic violence services, to ensure that anyone consulting the Register will be directed towards appropriate supports, whether for themselves or for another person that they are concerned about.

In relation to a change of name more generally, all Deed Polls enrolled in the High Court are included on a register and the last ten years of enrolled deed polls are publicly accessible on the Courts Service website at: www.courts.ie/hubs/deed-poll. This lists both the old and new versions of the names used by any persons who have changed their name by Deed Poll.