The Government today denied harbouring a dangerous paedophile at the centre of a deepening extradition row.
With Paul Hunter Redpath (35) relocated to north Co Dublin, authorities in the Republic were under pressure to guarantee they were not providing a haven for sex offenders.
Children's charity Barnardos was alarmed that the former chef, convicted in Northern Ireland of abusing two young girls, was able to cross the Border.
Its Director of Advocacy, Norah Gibbons, said: "Our current system of tracking sex offenders in the Republic is woefully inadequate and it is putting children at risk.
"For example, offenders are supposed to sign on at their local Garda stations where they live but there is nothing to stop them from working in a completely different part of the country.
"There are still thousands of people working with children and vulnerable adults in this country who have never been vetted."
She spoke out amid demands for the Police Service of Northern Ireland to have Redpath brought back into its jurisdiction.
He sparked a massive manhunt after breaching his probation conditions last month. Redpath, originally from Stranraer in Scotland, pleaded guilty at Downpatrick Crown Court in Co Down 18 months earlier to sex offences against two young girls.
He was given a three-year jail sentence and the same length of probation for indecent assault and having sex with a 13-year-old girl. A cross-Border search that started when he failed to return to his accommodation ended with confirmation that Redpath was now in the Republic.
He has registered with the Garda and is subject to sex offender requirements, the PSNI said. A spokeswoman added that police in Northern Ireland have shared all information and documentation on Redpath.
But she refused to comment on any extradition plans, saying: "All options are being explored."
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said Redpath has not committed any crime in the Republic. And he insisted: "We are not harbouring anyone. "But the two administrations did agree a number of months ago we needed to work in tandem to ensure the border is not used as a vehicle for evading justice."
PA