Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are not doing this to facilitate sex offenders. We are doing this to ensure we have a system that works and whereby they can continue to be monitored. This has been carefully drafted and thought through. I committed on Committee Stage to look at this and to respond to the Deputy regarding this matter. Having again engaged with the Garda on this aspect now, the force is happy and clear that this is the appropriate way to approach this specific part of the Bill. It is important we take on board the Garda's requests and requirements in this context. I refer to how this legislation will work best for the people who, as the Deputy just outlined, will have to monitor and engage with sex offenders and make this work.

Compliance in this regard now is high. It can always be better. Any non-compliance is not a situation we want to find ourselves in when we are talking about sex offenders. This, however, is about ensuring we have a system that works. It is important it works for the Garda in particular because it will be its members who will be monitoring sex offenders. I committed to looking at this aspect of the legislation. We engaged again with the Garda in this regard, and it is happy with how this provision is being set out. For me, this is the appropriate route to take in this regard and this is why I cannot accept this amendment.

I will give this commitment, however. If it turns out this approach does not work and, as the Deputy is suggesting, it allows people to go underground and not be monitored, then I commit to reviewing this measure, as we need to do with any legislation if it is not working. I must go now, though, on what I am being told will work for the people who will be monitoring these sex offenders and this is why we have not changed this provision. This is why it has remained as it was set out on Committee Stage and this is, unfortunately, why I am not going to accept this amendment. I accept, however, that if issues arise, if there are significant concerns and if the Garda tells me the force is having problems in respect of being unable to access information and this means people are going underground, or however it might be phrased, then we will obviously have to respond and to act. We must, though, give this legislation a chance to come into force first.

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