Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)

I do not understand why the Department of Foreign Affairs refused to answer this question when I tabled it as a priority question the last time the House took foreign affairs questions. Does the Minister of State agree that the recent "Prime Time Investigates" documentary exposed the conditions of slavery, rape and violence which are endured by trafficked women and children? Does he agree the programme also exposed that this country's controls in this regard are very lax and that our passport control system is porous? The Minister of State's reply confirmed that we are continuing to classify human trafficking as an immigration issue rather than as a human rights issue.

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