Like every other Member of the Oireachtas, I am concerned at the number of reports which have been recently made to the Garda concerning approaches being made to children by strangers while they were out playing or going to and from school. It is a sad reflection on the society in which we live. While we must not fall prey to hysteria, we must take these reports very seriously and we must put the safety of children first.
I have been informed by the Garda authorities that informal protocols exist between them and police forces in other jurisdictions with regard to the notification on arrival of convicted child abusers. I am also informed by the Garda authorities that the gardaí are taking each of these reports seriously, and that each of the incidents is being thoroughly investigated. While I am aware of speculation in the media concerning the reports, it is not the practice of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to comment in detail on any specific investigation except in the most exceptional of circumstances. All I propose to say in this case is I understand that the Garda investigations are at too early a stage for any concrete conclusions to be drawn as to the identity of the persons responsible. I am sure the House would agree with me that nothing should be said or done at this early stage which may have the effect of prejudicing the outcome of an ongoing Garda inquiry and neither would any of us want to compromise Garda operational initiatives. The gardaí must be given room to do their work.
Consequent on the need to raise public awareness to this problem, the Garda Press Office issued, on 11 December, a press release in relation to personal safety for children and young people. The press release reminded parents that with the long dark evenings and the approach of the school holidays, they should talk to their children about personal safety. In particular, parents should know the whereabouts of their children at all times, and try to avoid putting their children in a position where they have to wait alone outside school for collection. The gardaí also recommend that children should be reminded about their personal safety and be told specifically not to approach strangers in cars while travelling to or from school or while out playing; not to play alone or become isolated from other friends; to wear bright reflective clothing during the hours of darkness and, importantly, not to take sweets, lifts or talk to strangers without their parents consent.
I am aware that the Department of Education and Science has developed a range of programmes dealing with aspects of social and personal safety which form part of the ordinary curriculum in primary and post-primary schools. One such programme of which I am aware is the Stay Safe programme, which is taught in a number of primary schools.
I am sure the House will agree that every community should be vigilant and keep an eye on its children's safety. In terms of sharing community knowledge and in raising awareness, schemes such as Neighbourhood Watch and Community Alert can play an important role in this regard in relation to the sightings of persons acting suspiciously.
In the case of serious assaults of a sexual nature against children, the House will be aware that I published a discussion paper earlier this year on the law of sexual offences which includes a chapter on the sexual abuse of children. I am currently considering submissions on this document and I assure the House that this is an issue which the Government treats most seriously. My intention is to bring forward a set of comprehensive criminal law reform proposals in this area.
I have already indicated my intention to establish a register of sexual offenders to complement the existing recording arrangements in place by the gardaí. I have received a considerable number of submissions as to the nature of this register, for example, some would favour a register containing details of all sex offenders, others believe that the register should be confined to details of those convicted of paedophile type offences. I am carefully considering all the options in this respect before coming to a decision on the final shape of the register. The operation of the register raises very complex issues. Given that we have a written Constitution we may not have the same flexibility that other jurisdictions had in introducing a register.
We must realise, however, that this is a very difficult area for policing alone to address. We know that crimes committed by paedophiles are considered by society to be, perhaps, the most heinous of ail. Many consider this type of sex offender to be beyond redemption and research shows that recidivism rates for paedophiles are high. Paedophilia is a condition which predisposes individuals to have sexual desire towards children. There will, no doubt, be some paedophiles who have never committed a crime and who may be receiving some form of treatment for their condition but who have not come to the attention of the gardaí. The State's response to the serious problem of sex offending must be workable, legally and constitutionally sustainable while at the same time offering the best possible protection to children.
All convicted sex offenders who are in custody are encouraged and invited to apply to participate in the sex offender treatment programme in Arbour Hill Prison. Those who apply are considered by the treatment team but not all are found to be suitable. There are currently ten offenders undergoing this treatment and a further 26 are awaiting inclusion. While offenders who have completed their sentence cannot be compelled to accept supervision from the Probation and Welfare Service on release, there are almost 100 sex offenders now under mandatory supervision by the Probation and Welfare Service on foot of court orders. In the meantime I assure the House that any reports of attempted abductions are taken very seriously by the Garda Síochána.