The Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has confirmed a cross border investigation into alleged abuse by IRA members is under consideration.

Ms Fitzgerald was speaking in Cork amid reports that the proposal will be discussed at the North South Ministerial Council next week.

A spokesman for the government has told the Irish Times: "The government is looking at options in relation to a process to establish the facts around the treatment by republicans of alleged abuse victims, including the moving to other jurisdictions of their alleged abusers."

There were reports at the weekend that the names of some suspects against whom claims have been made have been supplied to gardaí.

Ms Fitzgerald says an inquiry between the Republic and Northern Ireland would be no easy task.

However Ms Fitzgerald would not be drawn on what information - if any - has been handed over.

The issue has been making headlines since a BBC programme highlighted how the IRA handled the abuse of Mairia Cahill. She has detailed how she was raped as a teenager and then forced to face her rapist in an IRA kangaroo court.

Ms Cahill has gone on to say that Republicans then conspired to move sex offenders south of the border, where they were free to offend again.

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams disputes some of her claims, but admits the IRA created its own justice system because of a lack of trust in the RUC and British courts.