Tougher laws to manage and monitor sex offenders come into effect today

An Garda Síochána will now be able to disclose information relating to persons on the sex offender register if there is a serious risk to the public as part of tougher laws which came into effect today.

The Minister for Justice Helen McEntee TD said that "this legislation gives An Garda Síochána and the Probation Service the tools to ensure sex offenders are managed effectively, striking an appropriate balance between monitoring and restricting offenders while also supporting them in their rehabilitation."

It also places the current Sex Offenders Risk and Assessment and Management (SORAM) monitoring process for sex offenders on a statutory footing. 

The Sex Offenders (Amendment) Act 2023 changes the notification requirements ("sex offenders register") for sex offenders, providing for the court to prohibit a sex offender from working with children. 

Minister McEntee said: "These tough new laws will help us build stronger, safer communities and will strengthen our already robust system for monitoring sex offenders. 

"It introduces stricter notification requirements and gives powers to the court to explicitly prohibit convicted sex offenders from working with children or vulnerable people.

"Tackling domestic, sexual and gender-based violence and supporting victims of crime are priorities for me and my Department.

"I also want to reform the criminal justice system to make it more victim-centred, and this Act contains significant measures to help in that work,"" she said.

Other provisions include providing powers to the Garda Síochána to take fingerprints, palm prints and photographs to confirm the person's identity.

Minister of State James Browne said that this legislation would provide extra reassurance about the release of sex offenders, and "it introduces significantly stricter notification requirements for offenders, will allow for electronic monitoring in certain circumstances and will explicitly prohibit convicted sex offenders from working with children or vulnerable people.

"This legislation underlies the government's shared commitment to keeping everyone in our communities, and in particular women and children, safe from sexual violence."

Meanwhile, a working group has been established to develop a draft plan to inform an approach to operationalising electronic monitoring of offenders.

The Department of Justice chairs the group and comprises representatives of the Courts Service, the Probation Service, the Irish Prison Service and An Garda Síochána. 

It aims to devise a pilot study, and it is currently mapping out the operational matters for consideration, which will be finalised by the end of this year.