The Government is looking at new ways to tackle so-called revenge porn.

A law change could see images taken off the internet in future without the need for a court order.

It is also hoped that extra offences will be introduced to prosecute those responsible.

Currently revenge porn, which involves uploading intimate photos online without consent, is not a crime in this country.

The Law Reform Commission, which is making the recommendations, has stopped short of calling for mandatory sentences.

LRC commissioner, Raymond Byrne, told the Irish Examiner: “We will try our best to propose draft legislation that doesn’t involve going to court but instead that gets things down as quickly as possible.”

The LRC is looking at offences in the cyber world from both a criminal and regulatory point of view.

“The key thing the Commission will be concerned with is divided into two blocks of law,” said Mr Byrne.

“One is the criminal side. There is a recognition there is a gap in law and it’s clear from consultations we’ve had that the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act doesn’t deal with revenge porn.

“When an image is uploaded to a social media platform, in this manner, it’s not done to communicate directly with the target and it might not be persistent. That’s a clear gap. The Commission recognises that’s a clear gap.”