Electronic monitoring of high risk sex offenders after their release from prison is being examined by the Minister for Justice.
Speaking at a Forum on the Management of Sex Offenders in Dublin, Dermot Ahern said the legislative and administrative implications of such a move was being considered by his department.
Meanwhile, legislation is to be introduced to reduce the period of time within which convicted sex offenders must register with gardaí after release from prison or arrival in the country.
Convicted sex offenders will be allowed only three days instead of seven before they must register.
Failure to register could mean up to five years in prison upon conviction.
The new law will apply to those released from prison or convicted sex offenders from Northern Ireland, the UK, Europe and elsewhere who come to Ireland.
Minister Ahern is also to announce a new treatment programme for sex offenders in prison, which is expected to treat up to 60 inmates a year.
The current annual uptake for such programmes is less than ten.
312 sex offenders are currently in Irish prisons and make up just over 8% of the total prison population. Another 128 are under the supervision of the Probation Service.
