The Irish Prison Service has sought to ease fears of a backlog of sex offenders waiting to enter its tailored treatment programme.

The Irish Prison Service has sought to ease fears of a backlog of sex offenders waiting to enter its tailored treatment programme following criticism from a visiting committee at one of the country's main jails.

Almost half of sex offenders currently in the prison system are undertaking psychological treatment, with the Irish Prison Service stressing that other offenders were accessing other forms of support.