Concerned parents held a protest in the Market Square on Saturday noon last for the right to obtain information on convicted paedophiles. They proposed that action be taken by the government to create legislations on a type of Irish “Megan’s Law”, a law which was passed in the United States in 1996 following the aftermath of the rape and murder of Megan Kanka, aged seven-years old, by a convicted sex offender in New Jersey.

If a similar law was enacted in Ireland, it would require local authority agency to publish information on registered sex offenders so that concerned parents could identify and possibly prevent any potential danger to their children. Published information would therefore allow them to see if there are any paedophiles residing in their locality.

Furthermore, under this law sex offenders would be obliged to submit various details including name, photo identification, residence address, internment dates, nature of crime and, if any, place of employment. They would also be required to notify authorities of any change in address or employment within a seven day period.

Thomás Sharkey spoke out for the protesters, stating: “Let this be the last generation were children’s voices fall on closed ears. If we cannot listen, there is no point in them speaking. Gone are the days of the Church Institution, if it were let to happen again it would be our fault for not doing something now.”

Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern was unavailable for comment at time of print.