Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 49: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on the recent report submitted to his Department suggesting that sex offenders should be given special privileges in jail, including early release, temporary release and transfer to open prisons if they agree to participate in treatment programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16160/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The report referred to, namely, An Independent Evaluation of the Irish Prison Service Sexual Offender Intervention Programme, was commissioned and funded by my Department. It provides a scientific evaluation of the Irish Prison Service sex offender programme. The report found that the sex offender programme complied with the highest international standards of programme delivery and that the programme achieved significant positive changes in the psychological risk factors for sex offending in men who had successfully completed the programme.

The report makes a number of recommendations as to how the programme can be further developed and enhanced which are currently being examined by the Irish Prison Service and will contribute to future development of the current sex offender programme. The complex and technical nature of this circa 500 page report requires a great deal of care and comprehensive examination by the Irish Prison Service given the issues involved and the imperative to ensure public safety.