Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

This is a serious health issue that has not received as much attention as others. I attended a packed meeting last Tuesday night in St. Bricin's, Arbour Hill, on the extent of prostitution in the general area of Montpelier, Arbour Hill, St. Bricin's and surrounding areas in the Oxmanstown and Stoneybatter part of Dublin. It was quite clear that there has been a considerable escalation in the incidence of prostitution in that area alone. Last month I tabled a question to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Arising from that he had two gardaí specifically appointed to patrol the area and to focus on prostitution and how to deal with it. Many young women and even children have been accosted by the clients of prostitutes, and even local residents have been accosted by the women and insulted if they said anything to them.

There is a serious problem. The statistics the Minister gave me on that occasion showed that there had been 115 arrests in 2002 and 117 in 2003 and that these were being processed. Last Tuesday night, the meeting heard that the two gardaí designated to deal with the matter had been effective in arresting 38 in the month of April alone. If this is multiplied by 12 that would be 456, which would be a fourfold increase on the numbers arrested either in 2002 or 2003. Once gardaí were dedicated to dealing with the issue, many more people were arrested. Clearly the issue is much broader than people had originally thought. It has undoubtedly escalated.

That is one side of the matter. The other side is the question of health. We know there is a considerable amount of sexually transmitted disease and that HIV, drugs and prostitution go together. The health of the clients must also be considered. They can be infected or, in turn, infect some of the women plying their trade. There is a major health issue to be considered and it remains under a shadow in terms of being effectively dealt with because the law criminalises prostitution and those associated with it.

Has the Minister of State a health treatment centre or liaison unit in place that would be proactive and outgoing and that could meet with prostitutes in a non-confrontational context to enable them to receive the health treatment they often need but may be afraid to seek out or which might not be available in the normal manner that health services are usually available? We need something of this nature to ensure the necessary checks and screenings for disease take place so that the health of the women is regularly reviewed and that a system of protection against sexually transmitted disease is in place. I would like to know what steps are being taken by the various health boards or the Department of Health and Children or the hospitals and whether individual local units or services are available. What is in place on a policy scale in broader terms to deal with this particular health problem?

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