The Minister for Justice will seek approval to create offences relating to the possession, production or distribution of extreme or violent pornography, and acts of necrophilia.
The move by Minister Jim O'Callaghan is in response to growing recognition that violent and extreme pornography is now "one of the most influential, accessible, and commercially powerful forces negatively shaping sexual development and behaviour".
It will require drafting additional Heads of Bill to be included in the General Scheme of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences, Domestic Violence and International Instruments) Bill.
"This material is having a harmful impact, particularly on children and young people, and is distorting healthy sexual development and contributes to perpetuating misogynistic attitudes," he said.
The Minister will seek Cabinet approval tomorrow to introduce new offences criminalising the possession, production or distribution of extreme or violent pornography.
Ireland does not currently criminalise the possession of extreme and violent pornography, a category described by a Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly in a Resolution in 2011 as including material, "graphically portraying scenes of degradation, sexual violence, torture, murder, necrophilia or bestiality for the purposes of sexual arousal".
In the Resolution, the Assembly called on Member States to assess existing laws and regulations applying to violent or extreme pornography and introduce specific legislation to criminalise the production, distribution and possession - including for personal use - of violent or extreme pornography, if not already in place.
The High Court recently found that there is no offence in place in this jurisdiction to address possession of extreme pornographic material.
It follows two requests for extradition relating to the possession of bestiality material.
Legal advice from the Office of the Attorney General identified no constitutional or legal impediment to the introduction of the offences.
