Ministers at odds over strength of Irish sex offender laws
The Tánaiste, Michael McDowell, and Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern have voiced contradictory opinions today on Ireland's laws dealing with sex offenders.
The comments follow the revelation that a high-risk sex offender who absconded from his accommodation in the North at the end of last month has been found in the Republic.
The man has registered with the gardaí, but has not been arrested because he has committed no offence south of the border.
Mr McDowell today denied that Ireland was effectively a safe haven for convicted sex offenders from abroad due to its lax laws in the this area.
However, speaking during a visit to Ballymena today, Mr Ahern said the Republic had a lot to learn from the tough laws in the North.
