I move amendment No. 1:
In page 5, between lines 21 and 22, to insert the following:
"(2) As soon as may be after the end of each year beginning with the year in which this Act is passed, the Minister shall prepare and lay before each House of the Oireachtas a report setting out the measures taken to rehabilitate sex offenders, including the rehabilitation of offenders in custody, and shall specify the number of such offenders, the number who applied for or sought to avail of such measures, and the number to whom such measures were provided.".
The purpose of the amendment is to ensure that as soon as the Act is passed the Minister lays before the Houses of the Oireachtas a report setting out the measures taken to rehabilitate sex offenders, including measures taken while the offenders are in custody. We want to ensure that we focus not just on the establishment of a register, but also on the broader aspects, such as the treatment of sex offenders while in custody and subsequent to their release. I want to ensure that the public is given information on a regular basis about progress in this regard. At present, there is limited treatment of sex offenders while in custody. The Arbour Hill provision has been there for some time. Perhaps the Minister could outline the progress being made on the proposals for the Curragh prison. The most recent statistics show that only five of the 80 sex offenders released from prison in 1999 had taken part in the appropriate prescribed treatment programme. While I acknowledge there are other forms of treatment, this specific programme is designed for sex offenders. This shows that many people who go to prison for such offences do not undergo any type of treatment.
There is provision in the Bill for a court to order a released prisoner to attend counselling under the probation and welfare service. I do not accept the argument that we cannot compel a person to do something while in custody. We must ensure every effort is made to encourage such offenders to have the appropriate treatment. Most of them are in denial about their behaviour and, therefore, they are not likely to voluntarily look for treatment. There is an obligation on the State and on the courts to ensure that every effort is made to encourage those who have offended the public and individuals to face up to what they have done and to get whatever treatment is available.
I tabled this amendment to ensure this issue is debated in the wider context of provision, both within prison and subsequent to release from prison.