MINISTER FOR Justice Alan Shatter said electronic tagging of sex offenders was a priority.

He said he was particularly anxious to progress the necessary legislation at an early stage to extend to the courts the possibility of imposing the measure when sex offenders were convicted.

“When measures have been finalised for sex offenders, consideration will be given to what new measures may be appropriate to violent offenders.”

Mr Shatter said the Sex Offenders Act 2001 had introduced the sex offenders’ register, post-release supervision orders and civil orders restricting offenders in certain ways. Proposals aimed at amending the Act were at an advanced stage, he said.

Seán Crowe (SF) said there was great concern about the monitoring of such offenders, particularly in communities where there had been a sexual attack: “Is there a way to build confidence in respect of this matter? There are major concerns regarding a number of offenders who have been released.’’ Mr Crowe said that when offenders moved out of a particular area, there was concern about whether the Garda was monitoring their activities.

Mr Shatter said it was important the matter be considered in a comprehensive way. “It is not just a question of what happens when an offender who has served a prison sentence is released,” he said. “It also relates to how we approach these matters in the context of the prison service.’’

Mr Shatter said there was a particular need to ensure offenders participated in programmes which were of a sufficiently sophisticated and diverse nature to meet the different needs that existed.

One of the items of legislation he hoped to bring forward, he said, would involve examining again the circumstances surrounding the granting of remission to sex offenders and certain other offenders, to ensure they participated in appropriate programmes.

International research, said Mr Shatter, had shown participation in such programmes reduced the risk of reoffending. He said he might suggest a general debate so members of the House would have the opportunity to express views and have an input into legislation.