Victims of crime could soon be able to track the progress of Garda investigations online.
The Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald plans to ask the acting Garda Commissioner if she will look into a "Track my crime" service similar to one used in the UK.
By using a unique reference number, victims of crime in five police districts across the UK can gain access to a secure website called TrackMyCrime.
It allows them keep an eye on the progress of an investigation from the moment a crime is reported to when perpetrators are brought to justice.
Addressing the Seanad earlier, Independent Senator Ronan Mullen called for a similar system to be set up here so victims never feel left in the dark:
The Minister for Justice thinks it is a good idea and is planning to ask the acting Garda Commissioner to look into it, but if such a system is introduced, Ms Fitzgerald says she does not want it to replace the more traditional interactions between Garda and victim.