More than one in four convicted sex offenders being monitored under a multi-agency risk-management programme are living in communities in the southeast of the country, figures show.
The increase in the number of people convicted of such offences in counties Waterford, Wexford, Tipperary, Kilkenny and Carlow was described as a "significant change" by the Sex Offender Risk Assessment and Management programme (SORAM).
Its annual report shows that 173 sex offenders across the country were under the supervision of SORAM at the beginning of 2021, representing an increase of more than 10 per cent from the previous year.
The highest number of sex offenders (47) were located in the southeast region, marking a 20 per cent rise since January 2020.
The five south-eastern counties overtook the Dublin Metropolitan Region, which had accounted for 30 per cent last year, but was the location of just 24 per cent (41) at the beginning of 2021.
The southern region encompassing Cork, Kerry and Limerick and the eastern region of Wicklow, Kildare, Laois, Offaly, Meath and Westmeath each had 28 sex offenders living there, representing 16 per cent of the national total.
A total of 20 (12 per cent) lived in the northern region of Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan and Louth; while nine sex offenders were living in the western region of Galway, Mayo, Clare, Roscommon and Longford.
All but one of the 173 convicted sex offenders under the supervision of SORAM last year were male, while their ages ranged from 77 to 19, according to the report.
Two of the offenders are on licence from the United Kingdom and are being supervised in a non-statutory capacity, according to the report.
A total of five of the sex offenders are categorised as posing a “very high” risk of reoffending, while 36 others are described as being “high” risk. Some 97 are labelled “medium” risk.
The offences of which they were convicted include rape or attempted rape, defilement of a child, sexual or indecent assault, sexual exploitation and aggravated sexual assault.
A total of 19 of the offenders were convicted of more than one offence, and five were convicted of offences including indecent exposure, masturbation in public, and harassment or stalking.
Ten of the sex offenders were not subject to notification requirements, meaning that they are not obliged to tell gardaí if they change address or travel anywhere for longer than a week.
This is because the offence of which they were convicted was not a scheduled sexual offence, or the notification period in respect of their crime had expired.