Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The word compassion has been used several times today and I believe we are all compassionate and want to ensure that people get to live healthy and productive lives. Sadly, in this industry, it appears to be very difficult to get to the bottom of what is driving it. Is there any research available which indicates where the appetite for young people is coming from? A lot of research has been conducted with those who are servicing this demand, but has anybody looked at where the demand is coming from. Is it a societal issue? Is it learned in the sense that people are becoming desensitised to pornography? Where is it coming from? If we criminalise the user, will people take time to reflect and look on the purchase of sex in a different way?