Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 1191: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he intends to introduce an all-Ireland sex offenders register in conjunction with Northern Ireland authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2137/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The Sex Offenders Act 2001 contains provisions relating to persons travelling to and from this jurisdiction. Persons who have been convicted of sex offences outside the jurisdiction are subject to the notification requirements of the Act when, at the time of the conviction or thereafter, they become resident for a qualifying period in the State. Furthermore, a person subject to the notification requirements of the Act who leaves the State for an intended continuous period of seven days or more at a time must inform the Garda Síochána in advance of leaving. If the person, when leaving, did not intend to remain outside the State for a continuous period of seven days, but does, she or he must so inform the Garda Síochana within a further seven days. These provisions cover persons travelling between the State and Northern Ireland.

Close liaison is maintained between the Garda Síochana and the Police Service of Northern Ireland in respect of persons subject to the Act, and information on the movements of such persons is exchanged when necessary for policing purposes. A memorandum of understanding on information sharing arrangements between Ireland and the UK, including Northern Ireland, relating to sex offenders has been negotiated by my Department and the Home Office, and I will shortly seek Government approval for its signature.

In the context of the Good Friday Agreement and the subsequent criminal justice review of Northern Ireland, an intergovernmental agreement on North-South co-operation on criminal justice matters was signed on behalf of the Irish and British Governments in July 2005. One of the items included in the work programme for the first year is the establishment of a working group to review the arrangements for exchanging information on registered sex offenders.

The first meeting of the working group of officials to implement the agreement took place in Dublin in November 2005. The meeting agreed to the establishment of a registered sex offenders advisory group. This group will evaluate the potential for sharing information, including potential benefits and barriers, and will identify areas for future co-operation. The group will consist of representatives of the Garda Síochána, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, my Department and the Northern Ireland Office. The advisory group will report to the next meeting of the working group of officials which is scheduled to take place in March. Following that, officials will make recommendations to Ministers in both jurisdictions for future action.