Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)

The trafficking of women for sexual exploitation is a serious and rapidly growing worldwide phenomenon. This trade in human beings for monetary gain is an extremely lucrative business earning several billions of euro a year at the expense of innocent lives. Women's human rights are violated when they are bought and sold, raped, falsely imprisoned and tortured. It is estimated that more than 120,000 women and girls are trafficked into western European countries every year.

Ireland has failed to transpose into law the 2002 EU Council framework decision on combating trafficking in human beings which obliged all member states to legislate to criminalise the trafficking of human beings for exploitation.

The deadline for member states to enact this framework legislation was August 2004. Ireland is the only EU member state not to do so. Why is it taking so long to move to draft this legislation? Can the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform assure us that the legislation will be victim-sensitive and will punish only the traffickers, similar to the Swedish legislation in this area? The UN committee on the elimination of discrimination against women stated that it was concerned at the trafficking of women and girls into Ireland, the lack of information on the extent of the problem and of specific legislation in this area and the lack of a comprehensive strategy to combat it. The committee recommends the adoption and implementation of a comprehensive strategy to combat trafficking in women and girls which should include preventative measures, the prosecution and punishment of offenders and the enactment of specific legislation in this area.

Ireland must also ratify the 2005 Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. This convention was opened for signature and ratification at the Council of Europe's third summit of Heads of State and Government one year ago in Warsaw. The action plan at that summit contained a call for the early entry into force of the convention and the widest possible ratification. Will the Minister say when he intends to sign and ratify this convention?

It is vital also that the victims of trafficking are not treated as criminals. These women and girls are highly vulnerable and have suffered terribly at the hands of the traffickers. Victims of trafficking should not be immediately deported to their countries of origin where they face the possibility of falling victim again to the traffickers. They should be advised of the asylum process and the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner should adhere to the recent UNHCR guidelines when determining status for a victim of trafficking as gender persecution.

The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform should fund assistance programmes and safe accommodation centres for victims of trafficking. On 28 April the Irish Examiner reported that a north African minor whom gardaí had rescued from a brothel was put into HSE care in Dublin. Without adequate staff to watch over her 24 hours a day this vulnerable girl went missing again from the centre within days. In The Sligo Champion on 26 April there was the story of a 17 year old west African girl who came to the attention of gardaí after she had been working as a prostitute. It subsequently emerged that she was a minor who had been trafficked to the country specifically to be exploited by an organised prostitution ring.

The Sunday Independent of 25 January 2006 carried the story of a young woman who presented herself to gardaí in County Meath telling them that she was being forced to have sex with hundreds of men over a six month period. She informed the gardaí that she had been tricked into coming to Ireland by a man who promised her legal employment and then took her passport. She was forced to have sex at a house in the region. When the gardaí searched the house they recovered the documents and thankfully arrested that man.

Last Monday's "Prime Time Investigates" documentary on RTE showed that the trafficking of women is happening here. Some of the most vulnerable women in Ireland need the Minister's help. He must act, legislate to criminalise trafficking and ensure that the Garda Síochána is given the resources and apply the laws that exist. I plead with the Minister to protect the women whose voices have been silenced.

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