Sex offenders could be electronically tagged and monitored after leaving prison, a report commissioned by the Department of Justice has proposed.
Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern said GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite technology would track offenders for six months after release.
The proposal will form part of a report on the management of sex offenders to be published after Christmas.
Department of Justice officials are examining the technical and economic viability of the proposals.
"I would envisage that it could operate on the basis of an application to a court immediately prior to release of an offender," Mr Ahern said.
His department is also exploring any potential constitutional hurdles which could could prevent the system being introduced on a statutory basis.
"GPS monitoring would allow any disturbing pattern to be identified at an early stage and would provide objective evidence of same in the case of any Garda application to court for a Sex Offender Order," Mr Ahern said.
"I have a particular interest in electronic monitoring and expect to receive a report from my Department in the near future on the general question of electronic monitoring and what procurement options are open to us."
PA