Mr. Gavin Elliott:

The Shelter figures were just for information purposes. We are not suggesting that they are particularly reliable but if they were extrapolated, they would give an idea of what the numbers might be in Ireland.

With the English experience, it was the attempt to use existing legislation that dealt with other issues, prostitution offences, to try to prosecute this particular offence that seemed to be the issue. There was an attempt in the House of Lords to pass an amendment recently which I understand failed more for political reasons than for any reasons to do with the amendment itself. The UK Government does seem to acknowledge that it has not been successful in achieving what it was supposed to and amendment is required to create a specific offence as this Bill seeks to do.