Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to the debate and I welcome the legislation introduced by the Minister, whom I thank for her introductory remarks. All of us in the House agree the legislation is welcome but, sadly, it is very late in coming. That should not take away from its importance and the ongoing commitment of the Minister to righting so many wrongs of the past in this State where, as other Deputies mentioned, we have consistently failed the victims of sexual offences over so many years.

It is welcome the legislation will bring Ireland into line with that of the UK in regard to notification periods for changes of address. That change would have been welcome many years ago, but that should not take from the fact it is coming now. We should bear in mind reducing the period from seven to three days will provide the authorities in the area with that much-needed information and with peace of mind for many, regardless of the information they have. Notwithstanding the law's coming into line with that of the UK, what are the rules throughout the European Union and beyond and how that will impact on the legislation?

The issue of the database is tied in to that. The information on sex offenders being retained locally is one thing, and the national database is welcome, but how can we ensure it will be a EU-wide database and that it will be thorough? More important, how will we maintain databases with the United Kingdom? What other legislative tools need to be realised to ensure that peace of mind and security, not just for victims but for communities beyond our borders, will be maintained? What strengths will be given in this legislation and what else will need to be introduced in that regard? While those improvements in this jurisdiction are welcome, we cannot limit ourselves to that.

One area referred to by previous speakers and others relates to the tools that will be available to An Garda Síochána to monitor registrations and the much-talked about electronic tagging. I welcome them but, in the context of all these initiatives and the introduction of the legislative cover, are we ensuring that will be met by resources and tools for An Garda Síochána and State agencies to ensure this legislation will be implemented correctly, efficiently, fairly and in the interests of all people in society?

I welcome the additional funding given consistently over recent budgets to An Garda Síochána to allow it to improve its ICT in particular, moving beyond just the operational use of ICT to the ability to research and monitor. Nevertheless, we have to ensure gardaí will be trained properly in this area and that resources will not be simply allocated to something. We must invest time in members of An Garda Síochána becoming expert at this, whereby the body of knowledge they are in a position to build up will be retained and consistently improved on, whether through a continuing professional development system or whatever else. It cannot just be a case of us having drafted the legislation and providing some resources. There must be a consistent application of resources, with ring-fencing if necessary, and weatherproofing, in order that this legislation will not just be on the Statute Book. Rather, it must be something the Garda can reach into, and the Garda must always be trained and in a position to ensure it can enforce it in the best manner possible.

I do not want to dwell on the Bill because many Deputies will make the same points during this debate and the Minister made lengthy introductory remarks. I commend her on her consistent proactivity on this issue throughout her time as Minister. I ask that she ensure this law will be applied throughout the system. It must underline the work not just of the Department of Justice but also of the Departments of Education, Health and Social Protection in order that we will have a fully joined-up system that meets the needs of the victims of these gross acts and ensures there will be many fewer victims in future.

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