Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

Legislative, administrative and operational measures have been put in place to prevent trafficking in persons for both sexual and labour exploitation purposes. The Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act 2008, with penalties of up to life imprisonment, has been operational since 7 June 2008.

An anti-human trafficking unit was set up in my Department earlier this year to co-ordinate the level of Government response to this issue. An interdepartmental high level group will submit a national action plan to me in 2009 which will map out a strategy to prevent and tackle trafficking in human beings for the coming years. Awareness campaigns and training programmes in relation to trafficking are under way.

The Garda National Immigration Bureau maintains border controls and liaison with organisations which represent exploited foreign nationals. Liaison at an international level between the Garda Síochána and the international law enforcement community and international organisations also forms part of the approach taken by An Garda Síochána to human trafficking.

It is difficult to provide an accurate estimate of the scale of human trafficking for sexual exploitation in Ireland, as it is in many other countries, given the underground nature of the activity, the different definitions of trafficking and that data from different organisations is fragmented. A data collection strategy which aims at collating data on trafficking in human beings from a variety of organisations is currently being developed in my Department.

One person has been identified by the Garda authorities as a suspected victim of trafficking since the commencement of the Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act in June 2008. An application for a 60 day recovery and reflection period for the suspected victim has been granted. As suspected victims are identified they will be referred to my Department for a grant of permission to lawfully remain in the State for the 60 day period of recovery and reflection. The administrative framework for recovery and reflection periods will be put on a statutory basis following the enactment of the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill.

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