The European Parliament has voted to adopt a measure designed to tighten legislation to combat the sexual exploitation of children and child pornography throughout the EU.
Included in the measures are an EU-wide ban on those convicted of child sex offences from being employed in jobs where they would be in contact with children.
Fine Gael MEP for Dublin Gay Mitchell said the new EU law involves a number of measures to ensure that sex offenders who have worked with children, once convicted in one member state, cannot simply move to another member state to re-offend.
"National authorities will be obliged to provide information on penalties for sex offences against children in criminal records, which can be consulted by any other member state on request.
"Renewed efforts must now be made by the Irish Government to make the safety of children an absolute priority to protect them from sex offenders. EU initiatives only work if member states are willing to fully implement them," he said.
The law was introduced after an initiative by Belgium following a series of paedophilia scandals there.