Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 5: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of sex offenders serving prison sentences; the number of prisoners in each prison who are participating in rehabilitation programmes; and the number of places available for sex offenders on rehabilitation programmes in prison. [47437/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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On 15 December 2008, there were 302 persons in custody serving sentences for sexual offences. Three main forms of direct therapeutic intervention for sex offenders currently operate within the Irish prison system. The group programmes are an intensive version, which have been in operation since 1994 and are currently under review. Individual counselling is available from the Irish Prison Service's psychology service and from the Probation Service, and one-to-one interventions are provided by visiting psychiatrists who provide support to prisoners.

The intensive programme has catered for eight offenders at a time, taking 11 months to complete. Although delivered in Arbour Hill Prison, it has been available to sex offenders in other prisons. A total of 136 sex offenders have completed the sex offender programme to date since 1994, with the most recent group completing the programme in July 2008. There have been difficulties in finding sufficient suitable and properly motivated prisoners to participate in this programme.

One-to-one counselling is a critical method of working with offenders on their sexual offending. In response to such counselling, many offenders who initially might deny responsibility for their crime or deny any need for treatment are motivated towards some process of change. As of 16 December this year, 76 sex offenders have engaged in one-to-one counselling and other interventions with the psychology service. The Probation Service also engages with prisoners on a one-to-one basis.

The question of rehabilitation for sex offenders in custody is not straightforward. Supports within the community on release can be equally vital to ensuring that sex offenders do not re-offend.

As I mentioned, the number of suitably motivated offenders applying for participation on the group programme has declined significantly in recent years and this has been a matter of increasing concern. Therefore, in an attempt to engage more sex offenders in appropriate interventions, the Irish Prison Service has initiated a review, and a programme incorporating new enhanced models will be introduced in January 2009. This will allow for interventions with a significantly greater number of offenders.

As a further measure, today I wish to inform the House of a major new process to develop further national policies for the management of sex offenders. I have a particular interest in electronic monitoring and expect to receive a report from my Department in the near future on the general question of electronic monitoring and what procurement options are open to us.

I have also asked my officials to examine the introduction of a statutory scheme of GPS electronic monitoring of sex offenders during the first six months of their release. If such monitoring is technically and economically viable, and if constitutional considerations do not prevent a statutory scheme, I would envisage it could operate on the basis of an application to a court immediately prior to release of an offender. This GPS monitoring would allow any disturbing pattern to be identified at an early stage and provide objective evidence of same in the case of any Garda application to court for a sex offender order.

This proposal will form part of a major report on the management of sex offenders which my Department will issue for public consultation after Christmas.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister's proposal in respect of the electronic monitoring and wish him well in that regard. I look forward to following progress in that area. Does the Minister accept that where treatment has been provided and a course has been undertaken, the results are such that there is a public safety issue? It is important that every effort is made to encourage prisoners to avail of the treatment. Using the excuse that the matter is under review, as the Minister has said, has been ongoing for too long. It is really avoiding the issue.

Did I hear the Minister correctly when he stated the sex offender management policy will be published in January?

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Yes.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Will that be subjected to a debate here?

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I will put it out for public consultation. The sex offender programme has been there since 1994 and 106 offenders, an average of eight per year, have participated in it.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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It is a very low uptake.

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I give credit to the Irish Prison Service for looking at a different model. It is anticipated that under the new model, which will come into place irrespective of the tagging issue in January 2009, there will be three different types of treatment and approximately 64 prisoners per year will be dealt with. That is a much better outturn for the significant expenditure in this area.

It behoves us all in the House to put in place the latest available treatment and monitoring. I was in Oslo recently and took time to speak to the country's justice minister about what they are doing with a similar population. They are initiating tagging of offenders, although it must be said they are not sex offenders. I am considering the issue of tagging generally and if it is feasible and there are resources, we will put out a tender in the new year.