Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Question 700: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will consider post release electronically tagging those convicted of drug trafficking and organised criminality; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24013/11]

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Question 701: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans for the electronic tagging of sex offenders; if this is a priority of his; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24039/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 700 and 701 together.

The Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce a series of post-imprisonment restraint orders for violent and sexual offenders to include electronic tagging and other restrictions, which may be imposed at the time of sentencing. The Sex Offenders Act 2001 introduced the sex offenders' register, post-release supervision orders for sex offenders and civil orders restricting sex offenders in certain ways. Proposals aimed at amending the Act are at an advanced stage of development. Legislative proposals being considered include measures for the electronic monitoring of sex offenders in specific circumstances and changes with regard to civil sex offender orders to make it easier to apply to a court for such an order. Apart from the post-release orders applicable to sex offenders, the law provides for a range of orders that may apply, post-release, to people convicted of other offences. They include the registration requirement for drug trafficking offenders under Part 9 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006), the monitoring and protection of persons orders under section 26 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007 and post-release orders in the case of serious offences under section 14 of the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009. My current priority is measures relating to sex offenders. When they have been finalised, consideration will be given to what new measures may be appropriate to violent offenders.