The establishment of a register of paedophiles would be a "significant step" in the fight against child sex abuse, the Fine Gael spokesman on children, Mr Dan Neville, told the House.

Introducing the Sexual Offenders Bill 1998, in Private Members' Time, he said a register would not be "a panacea to prevent all sexual offences against children". But he said it would help the Garda to identify suspects after a crime had been committed, as well as acting as a deterrent.

Under the Bill, offenders would be required to notify the Garda of any change of name or address within seven days of release from a penal institution. Access to the register would be restricted to the Garda and the information could be disclosed only with the permission of a designated High Court judge.

Mr Neville said the notification requirements should also apply to those convicted of child sex offences in Britain. He cited recent reports which suggested that Ireland was seen as "a safe haven". The Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, said the Government was committed to introducing a register of sexual offenders and that a discussion paper on the issue would be published within a fortnight.

Rejecting the Fine Gael Bill, he said it was "minimalist" in its treatment of the issue. "We should think carefully about the appropriateness of confining the register to persons convicted of sexual offences against children."

Mr O'Donoghue added the penalties under the Bill, of up to three years for a breach of notification requirements, far exceeded those provided for in Britain. He said a sexual offender "could end up spending more time in prison for the breach than he or she did for the original sexual offence".

Debate on the Bill continues today.