Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I welcome Deputy O'Dea's questions but it is unusual he did not regard them as sufficiently important to attend before the House but perhaps on the next occasion we have justice questions he might deem it appropriate to join us.

In the context of this question, the commitment to which the Deputy refers is the introduction of a series of post-imprisonment restraint orders for violent and sexual offenders to include electronic tagging and other restrictions, which may be imposed at the time of sentencing.

The Sex Offenders Act 2001 introduced the sex offenders' register, post-release supervision orders for sex offenders and civil orders restricting sex offenders in certain ways. Proposals aimed at amending the Act are at an advanced stage of development. Legislative proposals being considered include measures for the electronic monitoring of sex offenders in specific circumstances and changes with regard to civil sex offender orders to make it easier to apply to a court for such an order. During my time in Opposition I specifically pressed for the enactment of such legislation.

Apart from the post-release orders applicable to sex offenders, the law provides for a range of orders that may apply, post-release, to persons convicted of other offences. These include the registration requirement for drug trafficking offenders - Part 9 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, the monitoring and protection of persons orders under section 26 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007 and post-release orders, in the case of serious offences, as provided for in section 14 of the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009.

When measures have been finalised for sex offenders, consideration will be given to what new measures may be appropriate to violent offenders. I am particularly anxious that we progress, at an early stage, the legislation with regard to the tagging of sex offenders so as to extend to the courts a facility, when dealing with sex offenders who are convicted, in addition to sentencing, to provide for tagging for a period following release from any term of imprisonment that may have been imposed.

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