Anne Ferris (Wicklow, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I also welcome the witnesses to this meeting of the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality. I have been following their Facebook campaign for a while and thank them for the presentation. Members have heard many presentations in recent years from different organisations and it was very refreshing to hear a presentation from people of the students' age. They gave the figures on the low percentage of people of their age group who knew about trafficking and even the percentage of adults is also quite slow. Because members work in this area, they assume that everyone knows about these issues but in fact they do not. I propose to the Chairman that in addition to sending a copy to the Minister for Justice and Equality, one should also be sent to the Minister for Education and Skills. The students mentioned in their submission the possibility of having a programme in the junior cycle to educate students in this regard.

It is extremely important that young people are aware of and are campaigning on this issue from a young age. Trafficking for work and for labour, as well as for sexual exploitation, is a huge issue. Members heard a presentation yesterday about trafficking slaves for cannabis growing. This is on the rise here in Ireland, where people are brought over and are sent into places to grow cannabis. If those people are found and arrested, it is those who have come over who will be in trouble and arrested, not the person who trafficked them over. Consequently, trafficking has many aspects and I again congratulate the students and urge them to keep it going. I do not suppose they brought any of their wristbands with them?