The number of people jailed for sexual offences and homicide in Ireland has soared in the past 12 months.
The latest prison figures published by the Irish Prison Service show there are now 563 sex fiends in custody serving sentences - 74 more than a year ago.
The number of killers convicted for homicide has also increased by 17. There are now 422 people jailed for murder and manslaughter compared to 405 last year.
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Out of these there are currently 363 men serving life sentences and 13 women.
Eight of the male lifers are under 25 years of age, three of them aged between 18 to 21 and would include the killers of 14-year-old Ana Kriegel.
The youngest female lifers in custody are two killers in the 30 to 40 years age category.
The overall number of prisoners has increased to record levels by over 500 compared to a year ago.
The numbers jailed for attempted murder has gone up to 642 from 471 while those convicted for drug offences has soared from 351 to 427.
A prison source said: "The numbers show more criminals are being caught and punished.
"But the worrying trend is that more homicides and sexual offences are being committed than ever before.
"This is a big worry for the whole of society.
"We need to invest more to make the country safer. The Gardai are doing their best with the resources they have.
"The public can breathe a sigh of relief every time a serious criminal is taken off the streets."
The figures are for the 12-month period up to May 31 last.
