The Government of Ireland has passed the Sex Offenders (Amendment) Bill, 2021 on November 9, 2021.
Key features are:
- Electronic monitoring of sex offenders will be allowed to assist in ensuring an offender’s compliance with a sex offender order or post release supervision order.
- The new legislation seeks to tackle domestic, sexual and gender-based violence and supporting victims of crime.
- In cases of change of address of the sex offenders, they have to inform the state police within three days (rather than the current seven).
- The court shall have an explicit power to prohibit a sex offender from working with children and adults.
- The State police shall have powers to take fingerprints, palm-prints and photographs to confirm the identity of the person.
- A legislative basis will be created for the assessment and management of risk posed by sex offenders across teams involving probation officers, state police and Tusla;
- State police will be allowed to disclose information relating to persons on the sex offender register only in extenuating circumstances.
- State police shall be able to apply for the discharge and variation of a sex offender order.