Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

The Sex Offenders Act 2001 contains a comprehensive series of provisions aimed at protecting children and other persons. The Act makes persons convicted of a range of sexual offences subject to notification requirements in Part 2. These requirements also extend to any offenders convicted abroad of the same range of sexual offences who enter the State, including from Northern Ireland.

The Garda Síochána and the PSNI maintain close contact and exchange intelligence on convicted sex offenders. A memorandum of understanding was signed by the Irish and British Governments in 2006 on the sharing of information on sex offenders between the Garda Síochána and British police forces, including the PSNI. The Garda Síochána and the PSNI have subsequently signed an agreement on the sharing of personal data for the investigation of sexual offences and the monitoring of sex offenders. In addition, the probation service works in close collaboration with the Probation Board for Northern Ireland to ensure that effective communication is maintained about sex offenders who move between the two jurisdictions. Protocols to this effect have been in place since 2006 and are currently being reviewed.

Co-operation in this area has been the subject of regular discussions between myself and the Northern Ireland Security Minister, Mr. Paul Goggins. In fact, it has been on the agenda of every meeting we have had since I became Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. We established a North-South sex offenders action group in January to investigate current arrangements for returning sex offenders who travel to another jurisdiction in breach of notification and other requirements, and to make recommendations for improvements where necessary. Representatives from my Department, the Northern Ireland Office and the relevant agencies North and South are members of the group. This level of co-operation will continue when responsibility for policing and justice is devolved to the North next month.

I am currently reviewing the operation of the 2001 Act, and I expect to be in a position to seek Government approval later this year for a series of amendments to the Act.

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