The Labour spokesman on justice, Mr Brendan Howlin, criticised the fact that the Sex Offenders Bill, published yesterday, was not accompanied by a comprehensive programme of treatment for all sex offenders within the prison system.
He said it "was simply unacceptable to lock people up, fail to provide any treatment, and then release them into the community". Of the 103 sex offenders released from custody last year, only 11 had undergone a dedicated sex treatment programme.
There was general political welcome for part 6 of the Bill, which deals with the controversial issue of separate legal representation for complainants in rape and other serious sexual assault cases. The new provisions will allow for separate legal representation in cases where details of the complaint's past sexual history are discussed in court when the jury is absent. The Minister said "this would appear to be as far as the Constitution would allow such a provision to go".
The CARI Foundation, which offers counselling to victims of child abuse, welcomed the Bill but said it missed opportunities for real child protection. It also warned against seeing the sex offenders' register as a panacea.
National director Ms Mary Flaherty said CARI particularly welcomed the measure which would make it an offence for a convicted paedophile to seek or take up a job with children. She also welcomed the new Garda powers barring sex offenders from entering areas where there was "cause for concern".
However, she said they were very concerned that the register was to be defendant-led, and called for an amendment to make the point of conviction also the point of inclusion on the register.
She said that CARI had also wanted the register made accessible to professionals working with children. The existing provision, leaving the matter to the discretion of the Garda, lacked clarity.
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties said a register was no alternative to proper treatment programmes for convicted sex offenders.
Its director, Mr Donncha O'Connell, said the Government should have focused on a well-resourced system of parole and adequate treatment programmes.