Report: Sex offenders system restrictive

A multi-agency body set up to manage convicted sex offenders in the community can only monitor a small percentage of them because of data protection limitations and lack of legal powers.

The leaders of the unit — which brings together the gardaí, the Probation Service, and the HSE — said it was “restricted” in what it can achieve. They also said their biggest problem was the lack of accommodation to house offenders.

The Sex Offender Risk Assessment and Management system was set up to manage the risk posed to the community by convicted sex offenders, especially those assessed as high profile and/or posing a high risk of reoffending.