Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 23 January 2013
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality
Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed)
2:40 pm
Dr. Derek Freedman:
The Senator raises an interesting point: in the same way that there is a statutory age process, purchasing sex from somebody who is being trafficked or is under age could be deemed a criminal offence. That could have some practicality in currency, but it is exactly what I was saying about protection and the setting of a boundary. That would have some currency in my mind.
I concur with what the Senator says about the use of the term "sex worker" or "prostitution". People sometimes use the word "promiscuity", but what does that mean? Is it twice a day, three times a year or four times a night? There is no definition. It is a pejorative term and it would be much nicer if we had other ones.