Child protection groups have raised concerns about the treatment and supervision of sex offenders after figures showed there is a low take up of a treatment programme in prison.
It has emerged that although there are currently 259 sex offenders in Irish prisons, the sex offenders treatment programme remains undersubscribed. The programme has a capacity for eight prisoners at any time, but there is currently no waiting list. Sex offenders cannot be compelled to take part.
According to further figures, while 859 sex offenders have been convicted since 2001, only 171 have been subjected to court supervision orders.
Under the current system the other offenders will be required only to register their names at their local Garda station.
Yesterday the abuse victims organisation One in Four said that the low levels of treatment and supervision in the State was putting children and adults at risk, and that treatment should be mandatory.
"We believe absolutely that treatment and supervision should be at the centre of how the State deals with sex offenders," One in Four director Colm O'Gorman said.
"Merely taking people off the streets, holding them for a period and then releasing them back, anybody can see that's a danger."
Yesterday a spokeswoman for Minister for Justice Michael McDowell said that although there were no plans to make treatment mandatory, new provisions in the Criminal Justice Bill will allow judges to insist that a sex offender undergoes treatment in return for parole or early release.
The figures on the low level of take up on the treatment programme were contained in a parliamentary reply to Green Party leader Trevor Sargent from Mr McDowell.
There are currently 259 people serving sentences for sexual offences in Irish prisons, although there is currently no waiting list for the Prison Service's sole treatment programme for sex offenders.
Mr McDowell said additional psychologists had recently been appointed to the Prison Service and they will be working with offenders to help them prepare for taking part in the offender treatment programme.
He said that while there were 35 applicants for the programme, eight were assessed as suitably motivated for participation on the programme.
The remainder were deemed unsuitable for various reasons, including the fact that they were appealing their sentences, serious mental health problems, and denial of the offence.
"Consequently, there is no waiting list in operation in respect of participation on the programme," he said.
Mr McDowell also clarified to Mr Sargent that no sex offenders' register is in operation.
He said: "I have been informed by the Garda authorities that the Sex Offenders Act 2001 does not create a sex offenders' register, nor is the term register mentioned or used in the legislation."
Instead sex offenders are subject to notification requirements under Part 2 of the Sex Offenders Act 2001 and Mr McDowell said: "To date, there are 859 persons subject to these requirements. Persons do not become subject to the Sex Offenders Act until their release from prison.
"However, of the 859 sex offenders released from prison, since October 2001, the courts have imposed post-release supervision orders through the Probation and Welfare Service on only 171 sex offenders."