THE DEPARTMENT of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has yet to be contacted by Wicklow County Council about the decision to remove sex offenders “and those who consort” with them from the council’s housing lists.
A spokesman for the department said removing any group of people from any local authority housing list needed departmental approval. “We have not received a copy of the motion that was passed,” the spokesman said.
The matter could only be considered when formal notification was received of proposed changes to housing allocation practices.
The motion to remove sex offenders from Wicklow County Council’s housing lists was passed at a council meeting on Monday after a house earmarked for the family of a sex offender was destroyed in an arson attack.
The property, in the Woodview estate in the village of Ashford, sparked a protest last week by locals concerned that a sex offender’s family was to be moved into the property. On Sunday night the house was destroyed by fire.
The attack follows a number of earlier efforts by the council to house the sex offender’s family, only for those plans to be abandoned due to opposition from local residents.
The sex offender concerned was given a six-month suspended jail term 18 years ago for unlawful carnal knowledge of a minor. He cannot be named to protect the anonymity of his victim.
The charity One In Four, which supports and advocates on behalf of people who have experienced sexual abuse, said the case raised serious questions about how Irish society dealt with sex offenders.
Executive director Maeve Lewis said there was little debate about how offenders should be dealt with on release from prison. International best practice revealed that helping reintegrate them through monitoring, support and help in finding work offered the best outcomes for protecting children.
“Hounding sex offenders from place to place is likely to drive them underground and increase the likelihood of reoffending,” Ms Lewis said. Northern Ireland had developed effective reintegration through co-operation between the relevant services and the PSNI and a similar model was needed in the Republic, she added.