Mary Harney
Question:16 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Justice whether there is a register of sex offenders in the State, confidentially or otherwise; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16481/95]
Written Answers. - Sex Offenders' Register.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that the Garda Criminal Records Office maintains an index of all persons convicted of an indictable offence and other reportable offences — i.e. non-indictable convictions of a criminal nature. This index includes details of persons convicted of sexual offences.
Such records are necessarily confidential and details are not normally disclosed to third parties. In any event, the Data Protection Act, 1988, imposes restrictions on the circumstances in which computerised personal data held by the Garda may be disclosed.
The circumstances in which details of criminal records may be disclosed are confined, for example, to disclosure to other police forces in connection with the prevention, detection and investigation of crime and to cases where a person consents to the information being made available to a prospective employer.