Written Answers Nos. 186-205
191. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice the role of Garda occupational health in the assessment and approval of ill health retirements; if there is an appeal mechanism or oversight when reports or decisions are withheld from the applicant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17899/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraA decision to grant ill health retirement rests with the relevant employer and is subject to an approval process which includes an appropriate medical assessment having been carried out by the relevant medical professional.
In the context of the ill health retirement process at An Garda Síochána, the role of the Garda Occupational Health Service (GOHS) is outlined below.
GOHS receives referrals or requests from Garda HR for medical opinion on whether the medical circumstances of a case meet the medical threshold for early retirement on the grounds of ill health. They then consider the medical information already available in the specific case and may seek additional medical information or arrange further medical evaluation in order to provide an appropriate medical opinion and advisory to the Garda HR section.
The Garda Occupational Health Service is not the deciding office in An Garda Síochána for the ill health retirement process. The role of GOHS is solely to provide medical opinion to Garda HR based on the available medical information. This information then informs the decision on whether ill health retirement will be granted or approved in a case where Garda HR have made a referral or requested a medical opinion from GOHS.
The medical opinion provided is one element of the file prepared by Garda HR and submitted to the Garda Commissioner, who signs off on the final decision on an application for ill health retirement.
The ill health retirement process, including providing an appeals mechanism, falls under the remit of the Garda HR section.
Reports and decisions are not withheld from applicants with respect to ill health retirements. If a matter has been brought to the attention of the Deputy he might inform the Minister's office, as appropriate, in order that the information can be verified with the Garda Authorities.
192. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice the supports available for Gardaí who have been injured in the line of duty and diagnosed with PTSD, including access to rehabilitation, mental health supports, and clear retirement pathways; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17900/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána under Section 33 of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024. This includes all Garda HR matters in line with obligations of An Garda Síochána under Section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that where a member of An Garda Síochána is formally diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder by a relevant clinical professional, the responsibility for clinical management and treatments rests with the treating clinical professional.
An Garda Síochána provides complementary mental health supports including access to special category sick leave, access to free trauma counselling and psychotherapy if recommended by the treating clinical professionals. Follow-up with the Garda Occupational Health Service (GOHS) to inform advices and supportive, appropriate workplace accommodations. This includes access to specialist input from independent mental health advisors to GOHS where clinically indicated and access to welfare supports from the Garda Employee Assistance Service.
Activation of the ill health retirement process by Garda HR is an option when, following appropriate periodic medical follow-up of progress with ongoing treatments, it is medically determined that there is no reasonable prospect of adequate clinical and functional recovery that would support sustained regular attendance and rendering of effective service. This decision would be made with modified role or duties and supportive workplace accommodations taken into account.
193. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice the position regarding the number of EV charging spaces available at all court buildings, broken down by location, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17902/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra194. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice the number of parking spaces available at all court buildings in the country, broken down by location; if the spots are open to members of the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17933/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 193 and 194 together.
Management of the courts, operational matters and logistical functions are the responsibility of the judiciary and Courts Service, which are independent in exercising their functions under the Courts Service Act 1998 and given the separation of powers in the Constitution.
However, to be of assistance, I have had enquiries made with the Courts Service. The information regarding parking spaces and EV charging spaces, as provided by the Courts Service, is provided in the table below.
195. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Justice the average waiting time for the processing and granting of long stay join family visas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17940/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants and I want to assure anyone who has made an application for a join family visa that my Department is doing everything possible to progress these applications as quickly as possible.
The entitlement to family reunification varies depending on the permission granted to the sponsor of the application. Accordingly, there is no average processing time available for each type of join family visa.
Family members of Critical Skills Employment Permit holders can apply for join family visas at the same time as the Sponsor’s employment visa. When these visas are applied for together, they are processed in tandem and are typically completed within 12 weeks.
My Department aims to process join family visas applications within 12 months. The business target reflects the detailed and often complex assessment that is required to be carried out in relation to applications for family reunification. The majority of join family visas receive a first instance decision within this business target. In 2024 the average processing time for all types of Join Family visa application was 72 calendar days.
In 2024, approximately 201,000 visa applications, of all types, were received by the Visa Division of my Department. This reflects an increase of 21%, compared to 2023, with over 35,000 additional applications received. Approximately 22,000 join family visa applications were received by my Department in 2024; this represents an increase of 14% compared to 2023, with 3,000 additional applications received.
I am acutely aware that join family applications, are very important for the persons impacted and I am committed to improving the service my Department provides. In recent months, additional resources and staff have been assigned to my Department’s Visa Division which I expect will reduce the waiting times for join family applications.
196. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Justice when a visa application for a person (details supplied) will be processed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17941/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can advise the Deputy that the application referred to was created on 25 October 2024. Supporting documentation was received in the Abuja Visa Office on 15 November 2024 where it awaits examination and processing.
My Departments business target for join family visa applications is 12 months. It must be made clear that these are business targets for the immigration service. The business target reflects the detailed and often complex assessment that is required to be carried out in relation to applications for family reunification.
While I acknowledge the personal difficulties an applicant might be experiencing, it is not possible to give a definitive date as to when this application will be finalised. All applications are processed in chronological order, based on date order of receipt.
While every effort is made to process applications as soon as possible, processing times will vary having regard to the volume and complexity of applications, the possible need for the Immigration Service Delivery function of the Department to investigate, inquire into, or seek further information, and the resources available.
Processing times and decisions at the Overseas Visa Offices can be checked at the following link: www.irishimmigration.ie/visa-decisions/#decisions. I am acutely aware that join family applications are very important for the persons impacted. I understand that people are eager to have their families join them in Ireland and I am committed to improving the service my Department provides.
The person concerned can now directly check the status of their immigration application on the Immigration Service’s new Digital Contact Centre. They can register for, or log in to their existing account, at: portal.irishimmigration.ie/en/.
As an Oireachtas member, you can also request the status of individual immigration cases by e-mail, using the Oireachtas Mail facility at: IMoireachtasmail@justice.ie, which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Question process.
197. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice if he has concerns regarding the awarding of the contract for the main ICT Infrastructure in the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland to cover licencing of casinos and self-exclusion registers. [17961/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised that the recent procurement process and awarding of the subsequent contract for the Provision of Licensing and Operational Support ICT Systems and Related Services on behalf of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) was conducted in line with all national and EU procurement rules. These rules promote an open, competitive, and non-discriminatory tendering regime which delivers value for money for the taxpayer.
My Department, on behalf of the GRAI, published a tender competition in mid-2023. The Tender Evaluation Team established for the procurement process included significant ICT experience internally, together with four independent external panel members, each with extensive experience in large ICT procurement projects.
A comprehensive competitive dialogue tendering process concluded in October 2024 and a preferred bidder was identified. Contract negotiations began with the preferred bidder shortly afterwards and concluded with signing of the contract by the Department of Justice on 5 February 2025. I am further advised that the process was subject to the usual independent in-depth peer review and approval process before proceeding to contract, resulting in the most economically advantageous tender being successful.
198. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Justice to provide an update on the implementation of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017 (ISL) within his Department and its associated public bodies, including details of any ISL strategies that have been developed; and if no ISL strategy has been developed to date, the details of plans his Department has to address this gap in the near future. [17969/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department and the agencies and bodies under its aegis are fully aware of their obligations under the Irish Sign Language (ISL) Act 2017 and I am committed to raising awareness of the Act across the Justice sector. My Department and all relevant aegis bodies provide ISL interpretation free of charge upon request.
Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy , launched in 2022, aims to achieve better policy outcomes and improved accessibility of all services for our diverse range of service users. A cross-function EDI and Public Sector Duty Committee drives implementation of the strategy, including those commitments contained in the Irish Sign Language Act 2017.
At all Irish Citizenship Ceremonies, ISL is provided as a matter of course, to facilitate users, but also to increase visibility of the language. All meetings and events, organised through the Department of Justice events team, list ISL interpretation as a specific accessibility requirement. Our Learning and Development team provide closed captioning on all their recorded webinars, and ISL interpreting is also made available for all training events as requested.
To mark Deaf Awareness Month, in September of last year the Learning & Development team hosted a session on Deaf Awareness training. And in December, to highlight the most recent ISL Day, my Department’s Access Team placed a message in Irish Sign Language on its internal Portal . This was complimented by an email circulation to all staff about the ISL Act and our responsibilities.
Following on from this, in a recent accessibility awareness quiz, run within the Department, over 22% of staff who responded stated they were very aware of the ISL act, 62% were somewhat aware, with only 16% having never heard of the act.
My Department's Access Team have organised an accessibility awareness event later in the month which will feature a practical presentation on the act by a colleague who is also an ISL user.
Across the Justice sector, an access officer network has been running for the past several years. Through this network, the core principles of the ISL act are regularly brought to members attention. More recently, invitations to the Citizen’s Information ‘Be Irish Sign Language Friendly Online’ was shared to the network. Members were also provided with follow up information from the Department’s Deaf Awareness session and have been invited to attend the upcoming ISL presentation.
I am informed by An Garda Síochána, recognising their obligations under the Irish Sign Language Act 2017, that they have introduced a number of initiatives aimed at improving access to policing services by members of the deaf community.
Ahead of the commencement of the Act, pilot schemes for the provision of remote ISL translation services were run at Cabra and Tralee Garda Stations with the assistance of the Centre for Deaf Studies at Trinity College.
In 2023, HQ Directive 061/2023 was sent to all Garda Personnel. This instruction summarises the main provisions of the Act as they pertain to An Garda Síochána as a public body. The Directive requires each Garda Region to nominate a central point of contact to consult the Register of Irish Sign Language Interpreters to establish the identity and contact details of the ISL Interpreters that are available and can be contacted as required including to provide remote translation services.
Separately, in conjunction with the Centre for Deaf Studies at Trinity College, a video recording of the Judges Rules Caution translated into Irish Sign Language has been produced and is available on all Garda mobility devices for use as required. This video has been approved for use by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
An Garda Síochána remains committed to ensuring equal access to justice for ISL users. The Garda Human Rights Section, as part of the development of the Garda Human Rights Strategy 2025-2027, has received a submission from the Centre for Deaf Studies at Trinity College containing a number of recommendations as to how access to policing services can be enhanced for users of Irish Sign Language. These submissions are under active consideration in the development of the Strategy.
I am further informed by the Courts Service of Ireland that the Courts Service Public Sector Duty Action Plan 2024- 2027 outlines their commitment to support customers by continuing to provide ISL interpretation services in criminal, civil and family law court proceedings and outlines that the key performance indicator for this is that an interpreter will be available to every court user who identifies in advance of a hearing that they need an interpreter. The Courts Service have demonstrated a commitment to this in 2024 and 2025 by providing ISL interpretation services to a legal practitioner to ensure their participation in court proceedings.
To ensure that ISL interpreters would be available to support the requirements of the Act and the commitments of the Public Sector Duty Action Plan, the Courts Service issued an ISL Invitation to Participate in an Authorisation Scheme for the provision of ISL interpretation Services in October 2024. The purpose of the Invitation to Participate is to establish a panel of ISL interpreters for court proceedings. The evaluation of tenders received will take place in April 2025 and the intention is to have a panel in place over the coming months.
199. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Justice the number of animals destroyed by officers, by animal type, in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, where restricted dog breeds and animals pose a danger to officers in instances when a dog warden and or vet is not available to assist. [18000/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities. Regrettably, this was not available in time and I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.
200. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice the discussions he has had with representatives of the British government regarding improving the sharing of information related to nationals of either state or third country nationals with serious criminal convictions travelling within the common travel area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18010/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra201. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice the discussions he has had with representatives of the British government in relation to the need for a bilateral agreement with Britain to ensure that those international protection applicants that should be processed in Britain can promptly be returned there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18011/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 200 and 201 together.
Ireland and the United Kingdom (UK) share a long history and common interest in the effective operation of the Common Travel Area (CTA) and work together to prevent any abuses of the CTA.
There is extensive engagement, cooperation and data-sharing at all levels between my Department’s officials and their Home Office counterparts, as well as significant operational cooperation between the Gardaí, UK Border Force, UK policing services and the Police Service of Northern Ireland in relation to both immigration and criminal matters. This strong practical engagement and cooperation serves the mutual interests of both Ireland and the UK, and will continue.
Since my appointment as Minister for Justice, I have had an introductory call and thereafter an in person meeting with the UK Home Secretary, Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP, in early March in the margins of the Ireland-UK Summit, where we discussed cooperation in respect of managing the Common Travel Area. Furthermore, I accepted the Home Secretary’s invitation to attend the recent Border Security Summit, which focused on tackling organised immigration crime.
Following the withdrawal of the UK from the EU, a new arrangement for reciprocal returns of international protection applicants between Ireland and the UK was agreed; however a High Court judgment subsequently identified legal issues with the process concerning the designation in Irish law of safe third countries. These issues raised by the judgment were address by the Courts, Civil Law, Criminal Law and Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2024 and, following an analysis required as under the Act, I have recently re-designated the UK as a safe third country for returns. Arrangements for re-operationalising the reciprocal returns agreement, on foot of the new designation, will be put in place in consultation with the UK.
202. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice in view of the fact that it is a requirement that applicants to join An Garda Síochána must be proficient in Irish or English to outline the purpose of providing leaflets for the 2025 Garda Recruitment campaign in multiple other languages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18013/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am informed by the Garda Authorities that in order to expand the Garda workforce, the Garda Commissioner set an objective to increase the number of applicants by broadening the reach of the recent recruitment campaign to attract a diverse cohort of candidates.
The Public Appointments Service and the Commissioner achieved this success by employing innovative strategies, such as advertising in languages other than Irish and English, and publicising the campaign to Northern Ireland, Canada, the United States of America, Australia and New Zealand.
The Public Appointments Service (publicjobs) prepared a Candidate Information Booklet for the Garda Trainee campaign and this was available in English and Irish only.
Separately, An Garda Síochána developed leaflets promoting the recruitment campaign being run by publicjobs in a number of languages.
The Assessment Questionnaire and Written Assessment, which forms the first stage of the application process, must be completed through English and candidates cannot complete this in any other language.
The recruitment campaign aligns with An Garda Síochána’s organisational priority to achieve greater diversity, including increased ethnic, gender and socio-economic representation across members.
Recruitment outreach was delivered through a mix of community engagement, media campaigns and direct outreach initiatives at the national, regional, and divisional levels.
This included:
• Media and Digital Campaigns: Television, radio, print, social media, podcasts and paid advertising.
• Recruitment Stands: Presence at third-level institutions, shopping centres and events.
• Community Outreach: Engagement with schools, colleges, sports clubs and minority groups.
• Information Seminars: Face-to-face and virtual sessions to educate potential applicants.
The communications approach was designed to target specific groups, including school leavers, graduates, female candidates, and people from a range of ethnic backgrounds.
The recruitment campaign was promoted for three weeks and attracted almost 6,700 applicants.
The campaign successfully attracted a diverse range of applicants, with 32% of applicants being female, 42% aged 30 and over, and 23% identifying their ethnic background as other than white Irish.
The Commissioner is satisfied that the applicants come from diverse backgrounds, which will ultimately ensure that An Garda Síochána represents the population it serves. An Garda Síochána offers a highly rewarding career, and the number of applications confirms the campaign's message that it is 'a job worth doing'.
203. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice to outline the details of all supports in place for victims of rape, sexual assault and childhood sexual abuse to support them from when they make an initial complaint, through the judicial process, and up to and including the release of offenders; the process in place for making victims aware of these supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18032/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraEnsuring that all victims of sexual violence receive the supports that they need is a priority for me as Minister for Justice.
Under Budget 2025, €3,574,000 was allocated to promote and assist the development of support services to victims of crime. This funding enables the provision of services supporting victims at different stages of the criminal justice system. This includes the provision of support, information and advice on the rights of victims, court accompaniment services, specialised counselling services, helplines and accompaniment to Garda interviews for those who have experienced such horrific incidents.
Cuan, which was established in January 2024, is the statutory agency, under the aegis of my Department, dedicated to tackling domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV). Cuan funds 78 organisations across Ireland. This includes national organisations such as Women’s Aid and Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, and organisations that provide a range of specialised supports such as One in Four.
Significant work has also been undertaken under the Supporting a Victims Journey plan, to reform the system to ensure that a full range of supports are available for vulnerable victims from the moment they report an offence, through the investigation, trial and beyond.
Some of the key actions delivered under that plan include:
• work to advance the training for all personnel who come into contact with vulnerable victims,
• the establishment of a programme in the University of Limerick to train people to become accredited intermediaries and the roll-out of a pilot programme in the Courts Service,
• the provision of increased funding by the Department for organisations supporting victims of crime to address gaps in services provided by type and location,
• the publication of an updated Victims Charter and a supporting website which sets out all the information a victim of crime might need. The Charter also has a dedicated section for victims of sexual violence,
• the establishment of a Victims Forum in 2022 that brings together civic society organisations and State organisations to discuss matters such as best practices and innovation in service delivery to victims of crime and improved co-ordination and consistency of service to victims of crime.
The establishment of An Garda Síochána Divisional Protective Services Units (DPSUs) and a Sexual Offences Unit in the Office of the DPP, work towards ensuring the specific needs of vulnerable victims are met when reporting to An Garda Síochána and that victims are kept informed and supported throughout the legal proceedings. Collectively, these reforms aim to ensure that all vulnerable victims are treated sensitively and respectfully by everyone they come into contact with, and that they will be kept fully informed at all stages.
Reforming our criminal justice system to make it more victim-centred is a key focus of my Department’s work, and this includes legislative reform. Last year, the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Act 2024 was enacted which strengthens protections for victims of sexual offences during the trial process. The 2024 Act, ensures anonymity for victims in all trials for sexual offences; extends the right to separate legal representation to victims of sexual assault if they are being questioned about their previous sexual history; ensures character evidence at a sentencing hearing for a person convicted of a sexual offence must be made on oath or by affidavit; and ensures people subject to military law who commit sexual offences in this jurisdiction will be dealt with by An Garda Síochána and the civilian courts rather than by courts-martial.
The Sex Offenders (Amendment) Act 2023 strengthened our already robust system for monitoring sex offenders on release from prison and provides for changes to the notification requirements for sex offenders. Other provisions include providing powers to An Garda Síochána to take fingerprints, palm-prints and photographs to confirm the identity of the person. The Act also provides for electronic tagging and a power for a court to explicitly prohibit a convicted sex offender from working with children or vulnerable people. Under section 16 of the 2001 Act, where An Garda Síochána believe that a convicted offender poses a serious and imminent risk to the public, an application can also be made to the courts for a Sex Offender Order. A Sex Offender Order can prohibit the offender from doing anything the Court considers necessary, in order to ensure that the public is protected from serious harm. The Act also provides that a Court can impose conditions on a convicted sex offender as part of their post-release supervision, where a judge has included this as part of sentencing.
In addition, Sex Offender Risk Assessment and Management (SORAM) supports enhanced levels of co-operation and co-ordination between key statutory organisations managing risks posed to the community and safeguarding the welfare of children. The Garda National Protective Services Bureau has a dedicated unit, the Sex Offender Management and Intelligence Unit, which has oversight and monitoring responsibility at national level for the management of registered sex offenders who are subject to notification requirements.
The victim of a crime for which a person has been convicted is also entitled to certain information about the management of the perpetrators sentence while they are in the custody of the Irish Prison Service (IPS). To provide this information directly to victims, the Irish Prison Service operates a dedicated Victim Liaison Office (VLO). Registration with this VLO is voluntary, individual victims and their family can choose if they wish to be kept informed by the IPS of any significant development in the management of the perpetrator’s sentence. This must always be the case as receiving such information automatically could cause upset and distress for some victims. At the same time, the IPS works to ensure that the VLO system is visible and accessible to those who want to participate in it.
Raising awareness of the supports and services available to victims of crime is a key priority for my Department, to ensure that those affected know where to turn and feel empowered to seek help. In April 2023, my Department launched Victims of Crime – Know Your Rights’ - a national campaign to raise awareness of the rights provided in the Victims of Crime Act 2017 and in the Victims Charter. The campaign directs people to the VictimsCharter.ie website and has a particular emphasis on reaching minority and harder-to-reach communities.
In February of this year, Cuan launched the Hardest Stories campaign. This campaign is primarily to raise awareness of domestic and sexual violence within our society, encourage victims/survivors not to suffer DSGBV in silence & reassure them that telling their story will empower them. The Always Here campaign was launched by my Department in 2023 to inform victims of domestic or sexual violence that they are not alone and that support services from State agencies and the voluntary sector across the country are available to help. Cuan is now responsible for this campaign, which will run this year, and is responsible for the further development of DSGBV awareness raising campaigns.
In relation to child victims, Barnahus is a child-friendly, interdisciplinary and multiagency model of service for children who have been sexually abused. There are currently two Barnahus in Ireland. Barnahus West is based in Galway and serves the Northwest, West and Midwest of Ireland. Barnahus South serves Cork and Kerry. The model establishes a set of principles and operational protocols to facilitate the different agencies working together in a consistent and child centered way. It works on the basis that the child and family have all their meetings with the various professionals in the Barnahus. The Barnahus has a small permanent team based onsite, with other professionals visiting as required.
204. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice the financial supports available to victims of crime and witnesses to cover the costs of travel to court and for accommodation where they are required to be available to attend court for a period of days; the annual budgetary allocation for these supports; if these supports are available in a consistent manner across the state; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18033/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraEnsuring that all victims receive the supports that they need is a priority for me as Minister for Justice.
Under Budget 2025, €3,574,000 was allocated to promote and assist the development of support services to victims of crime. This funding enables the provision of services supporting victims at different stages of the criminal justice system. This includes the provision of support, information and advice on the rights of victims, court accompaniment services, specialised counselling services, helplines and accompaniment to Garda interviews for those who have experienced such horrific incidents.
In relation to the specific information sought by the Deputy, I have requested the information from the Garda authorities. I will contact the Deputy directly once the information is provided.
205. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice if he will consider introducing a provision whereby survivors of rape, sexual assault and childhood sexual abuse can apply for a civil protection order against their abuser where such a convicted offender is being released from prison and they are in fear for their safety; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18034/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraKeeping our communities safe is my foremost priority as Minister for Justice. I would like to assure you that there are a range of provisions in law and in practice in relation to the management of sex offenders after they’ve been released from prison.
The Sex Offenders (Amendment) Act 2023, which was commenced in 2023, strengthened our already robust system for monitoring sex offenders and provides for changes to the notification requirements for sex offenders, including a reduction of the notification period from seven to three days.
A person convicted of an offence set out in the schedule of the Sex Offenders Act 2001 now has to notify An Garda Síochána –
• of their name and address within three days of leaving prison;
• of any change to their name or address within three days;
• if they are going to be outside the State for more than three days;
• if they are returning to the State having been outside it for three days;
• if they are at an address in the State for three days and that address has not been notified to AGS;
• or every 12 months if they had not notified within the previous 12 months
Other provisions include providing powers to the Garda Síochána to take fingerprints, palm-prints and photographs to confirm the identity of the person. The 2023 Act strengthens the management and monitoring of sex offenders in the community. It provides for electronic tagging and that a Court can explicitly prohibit a convicted sex offender from working with children or vulnerable people.
Where An Garda Síochána believe that a convicted offender poses a serious and imminent risk to the public, an application can also be made to the courts for a Sex Offender Order under section 16 of the 2001 Act. A Sex Offender Order can prohibit the offender from doing anything the Court considers necessary, in order to ensure that the public is protected from serious harm. The Act also provides that a Court can impose conditions on a convicted sex offender as part of their post-release supervision, where a judge has included this as part of sentencing.
In addition, Sex Offender Risk Assessment and Management (SORAM) operates to support enhanced levels of co-operation and co-ordination between key statutory organisations involved in managing the risk posed to the community by convicted sex offenders and safeguarding the welfare of children. The Garda National Protective Services Bureau has a dedicated unit, the Sex Offender Management and Intelligence Unit, which has oversight and monitoring responsibility at national level for the management of registered sex offenders who are subject to notification requirements.
While there are currently no plans to extend the range of persons who can apply for safety and protection orders, I would like to assure the Deputy that all civil and criminal legislation is kept under review and I will consider any changes necessary to ensure it remains effective, proportionate, and fully compliant with due process and the Constitution.
