Any person arriving into Ireland who has been convicted of a sex offence is required to notify An Garda Síochána of their name and address for a period deemed by the court to reflect the seriousness of the offence, even if no prison sentence was imposed. It is a criminal offence not to do so.
An Garda Síochána engages extensively with other police services in relation to monitoring the travel arrangements of convicted sex offenders to and from the jurisdiction, particularly in respect of those countries with similar legislation to the Sex Offenders Act 2001.
I understand that notifications on the movements of sex offenders are generally made via the Interpol Office. An Information Sharing Agreement exists between An Garda Síochána and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) supported by a Memorandum of Understanding between the Irish and UK governments which allows the sharing of information directly between the Sex Offender Management & Intelligence Unit (SOMIU), Garda National Protective Services Bureau (GNPSB) and the Public Protection Intelligence Unit, PSNI regarding convicted sex offenders who cross over the border between both jurisdictions.
When the SOMIU receives such a notification, the intelligence is recorded on the Garda PULSE system and the relevant nominated Divisional Inspector involved in the monitoring of sex offenders is notified immediately, who is then required to organise for the monitoring of the offender, and where relevant, the offender is visited to ensure they understand their requirements under Part II of the Act of 2001.
