Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 659: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of person's subject to the requirements of Part 2 of the Sex Offenders Act 2001; the number of prosecutions and convictions that have taken place in 2009, 2010 and to date in 2011 as a result of breaches of Part 2 of the Sex Offenders Act 2001; the number of notifications received from other jurisdictions or from Interpol regarding the travel of convicted sex offenders to Ireland during the same period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23587/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Sex Offenders Act 2001 contains a comprehensive series of provisions aimed at protecting children and other persons. The Act makes persons convicted of a range of sexual offences subject to notification requirements under its Part 2. The provisions of the Act also extend to any offenders convicted abroad of the same range of sexual offences who enter the State.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that as of 8 September, 2011, there were 1,164 persons subject to the requirements of Part 2 of the Act.

Notifications are received on a regular basis regarding convicted sex offenders who enter the State. In turn, the relevant nominated Divisional Inspector involved in the monitoring of sex offenders is notified immediately.

I am further informed by the Garda authorities that the information requested relating to the number of such notifications is not readily available and would require a disproportionate amount of time and resources to collate.

Following the submission in 2004 of a report and recommendations by an expert group on crime statistics, it was decided that the compilation and publication of crime statistics should be taken over by the Central Statistics Office, as the national statistical agency, from An Garda Síochána. The Garda Síochána Act 2005 consequently makes provision for this and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose. Following the setting up of the necessary technical systems and auditing of the data from which the statistics are compiled, the CSO is now compiling, publishing and responding to queries regarding recorded crime statistics.

I have requested the CSO to provide statistics directly to the Deputy in relation to the number of prosecutions and convictions in 2009, 2010 and to date in 2011 in respect of breaches of Part 2 of the Act.