Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 232: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the status of a memorandum of understanding on information sharing arrangements with regard to sex offenders negotiated by his Department and the British Home Office referenced by his predecessor in a parliamentary exchange on 9 March 2006; and the substance of that memorandum. [2844/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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On 27 November, 2006 a Memorandum of Understanding on information sharing arrangements between Ireland and the UK relating to sex offenders was signed by my predecessor as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and Mr. Vernon Coaker, Under-Secretary of State at the British Home Office, in Hillsborough.

The MOU was negotiated between my Department and the Home Office, with input from the Northern Ireland Office. It relates to information about persons travelling between Ireland and the UK and who are subject to sex offender notification requirements in their own jurisdiction. Such information is being shared for the purposes of protecting the public from the risks presented by sex offenders and investigating serious sexual offences. The transmission of any information necessary to achieve these purposes is covered.

As a result of the MOU, the exchange of such information between the Garda Síochána and Northern Irish and British police forces, which of course had already been taking place for some time, is now on a formal footing.