Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 458: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason he is allowing convicted sex offenders up to three days to register with the gardaí on entering the country, following the proposed changes in the law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15629/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I am at present preparing a Sexual Offences Bill for which I expect to seek Government approval later this year. Following a review of the Sex Offenders Act 2001, which has now been in operation for more than 7 years, I will be proposing extensive changes to that Act, including the operation of the notification procedures or sex offenders register, as it is more usually called.

At present in this jurisdiction a person convicted of a sex offence has 7 days to notify the Garda Síochána of his or her name and address. The same period of 7 days also currently applies to sex offenders on entering the State.

The notification period for sex offenders convicted in our neighbouring jurisdictions has been reduced from 14 to 3 days. Unlike Ireland, they have no automatic notification for sex offenders convicted elsewhere. Part of the strategy for reviewing the notification procedures is to ensure that our laws in that respect approximate as closely as possible with those in the neighbouring jurisdictions. A 3 day notification period in this jurisdiction would ensure a harmonisation of our laws in that respect and should ensure that none of our jurisdictions becomes a safe haven for convicted sex offenders. In the preparation of the 2001 Act, my Department received legal advice that the notification period for sex offenders convicted in Ireland could not be different for convicted sex offenders entering this jurisdiction from abroad.