More than 400 people are currently in prison for sexual offences, according to new figures.

The Irish Prison Service (IPS) said a similar number are behind bars for murder and other homicide crimes.

A total of 3,109 people are currently serving prison sentences around the country

Some 424 people, more than one-in-eight of Ireland’s inmates, are behind bars for sexual crimes.

The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre CEO Noeline Blackwell told Newstalk the number is very low when compared to the number of offences committed.

“About 3,000 cases have been reported to the Gardaí over the last couple of years - each year - and of those about 150 people end up with a prison term,” she said.

She said the 424 figure is just the tip of the iceberg.

“Allowing for the fact that some of them will be serving long terms of maybe seven, ten or 15 years and some serving very short terms and given that typically about 150 people go to prison each year for sex offences, that is only the tiniest possible percentage of the number of prosecution that happen,” she said.

Rape survivor Debbie Cole says there should be minimum sentences for sex crimes.

“It is ridiculous,” she said. “Every day, there are multiple cases in the news of sex offenders – whether it is people watching child porn or actual physical sex abuses that when they go to court it is a lottery depending on which judge they get.”

Other figures show 407 inmates are in prison because of homicide offences, including murder.

A total of 360 people are serving life sentences in jail - involving 350 men and 10 women.

Of the non-Irish nationals in custody, the top nationality is Polish - involving 114 people.