Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

I reject the statement by the Minister time and again on radio that human trafficking is not a problem in Ireland. That is not true. It may not be the problem it is in other European countries in terms of scale and numbers but human trafficking is a problem in Ireland on a number of levels. Organisations such as Ruhama, which has been quoted a number of times, will state definitively that it has, during the past three years, supported more than 200 victims of human trafficking into Ireland. I urge that the Government parties take note when speaking about human trafficking not to minimise the issue or the problem by repeating the mantra that human trafficking is not really a problem in Ireland. One person brought to Ireland for the purpose of exploitation and abuse, be it physical, sexual or within the labour force, is one too many.

The light was shone on this issue 18 months ago in two consecutive RTE "Prime Time" programmes which highlighted the facts around human trafficking in Ireland and the fact that it is a growing problem. Approximately 100,000 people within the European Union are trafficked across Borders each year. Does anyone seriously believe the second wealthiest country in the EU in terms of income per capita is going to be immune from that problem because it is an island? We also have a problem in terms of Ireland being used as a trafficking route into the United Kingdom. This has been confirmed by a BBC report. Anyone who watched that programme would have heard a Bulgarian criminal openly speaking about the easy access into the United Kingdom through Irish ports. That is a problem.

The recent Welsh Assembly report on human trafficking specifically fingers Ireland as one of the routes into Wales for the purposes of trafficking in human beings for sexual exploitation and to feed the sex industry in Wales and the remainder of Britain. Let us stop putting our heads in the sand and saying human trafficking is not a problem in Ireland. It is a problem and we need to deal with it. The introduction of this legislation is a good first step in attempting to deal with it although I have some problems with it. I will come back to them later.

Let us get the language right first and recognise that on this island we have a problem, although unbelievable for many people, in terms of the trafficking of vulnerable people into Ireland for the purposes of abuse and exploitation. Also, Irish people are willing to pay for the services of these people knowing they are being exploited and abused. Although this is an unpleasant reality, it is about time we faced it.

As Ireland becomes wealthier, more liberal, multicultural and open to immigrants wishing to work and live here, the reality is the problem will continue to grow unless we deal with it in a comprehensive way. I have been a member of an organisation called Stop the Traffik for quite some time. The organisation which was established in the European Parliament in Brussels more than a year ago is an umbrella organisation that is trying to raise the profile of this issue internationally. The mantra of this organisation is basically summed up in three words in terms of how we need to deal with trafficking: prevention, prosecution and protection.

This legislation effectively deals with the prosecution element in that it defines trafficking in adults for the first time in Irish law and that is welcome. We have put in place appropriate criminal sanctions for the offence of trafficking which is also welcome. However, the legislation does not deal with the other two areas on which we need to concentrate.

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