Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

I welcome the opportunity to discuss human trafficking and I compliment Deputy Naughten and the Fine Gael Party on tabling this detailed motion, which covers many of the issues that need to be addressed. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform replied with a detailed amendment to most of the motion, as is par for the course, but a great deal of work remains to be done in this situation.

Last year, there was a flurry of activity in the Department, but there was little activity up to that. We were unable to sign the United Nations convention on the trafficking of human beings until we introduced legislation, which we eventually did 12 months ago via the Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act 2008. We are still awaiting the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill, which is long promised. An anti-trafficking unit was established through the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and an investigative unit in the Garda national immigration bureau, GNIB. A national action plan was also produced. This worthwhile flurry of activity in the past 12 months is welcome, but it was built on nothing, as zero had been done up to that time. The authorities were finding their feet in terms of dealing with the major issue of trafficking.

The first aspect we must recognise is that trafficking in human beings, particularly women and children with an emphasis on young girls, is widespread. It is regarded by the United Nations as the world's third largest industry. Some 1.5 million people are trafficked every year, 50% of whom go through the EU. The EU's industry accounts for approximately €35 billion to €45 billion annually, which is an incredible amount of money. We are discussing a major industry that is entirely criminal. In Ireland, it is undoubtedly worth millions of euro, from the trafficking process itself to the proceeds from brothels and so-called massage parlours. It is a highly lucrative trade and an abuse of the human rights of the individuals involved, mainly women and young girls. It is a growing trade.

The authorities are not sufficiently proactive in tackling this serious criminal issue. It is not sufficient for authorities or agencies to sit back and wait for victims of trafficking to come to them. We know how difficult that can be. The entire activity is run by gangs, people who will terrorise their victims. The majority of these victims are non-nationals who do not speak the language and who fear what may happen to them. They have no accommodation or papers of their own. For someone in that situation, it is difficult to come forward and seek the protection of the authorities, be they gardaí, the HSE, social services or voluntary agencies. They do not know what will happen to them.

I firmly believe that the Garda's organised crime unit, not the GNIB, should deal with this crime. The main focus of attention should not be the GNIB. It is easy to understand why that is the direction taken by the Department, since the people who are trafficked are non-nationals. Clearly, the GNIB is a major link, but we are discussing a serious crime against humanity. Therefore, the full rigour of the criminal justice code should be brought to bear. Only since last year have we had legislation that criminalises and imposes penalties on human trafficking. Now that we have it, we should implement it stringently. The only way to do so is by applying the full rigour of the law and by using the full powers available to the Garda.

Ruhama, a wonderful organisation that produced its biennial report in August, indicated that it had dealt with 200 women trafficked into Ireland during the past decade. Last year, it dealt with 57 women who had been trafficked into the country, 35 of whom were new referrals and 28 of whom were trafficked during 2008. Some of the people in question were minors. This compares with 26 trafficked women who Ruhama dealt with in 2006. The number doubled in the space of two years. Clearly, it is only the tip of the iceberg. Ruhama has outreach activities, but it will deal with only a tiny number of the victims involved. The women who come to Ruhama's attention have the courage to escape their exploitation.

We must examine the issue from the other point of view, in that the Garda must be proactive in seeking to engage this criminality. By proactive, I mean contacts with Interpol, which are not good in this respect, and the use of surveillance equipment to monitor the massage parlours and brothels that have sprouted up around the country. Since the majority of people who came to Ruhama's attention were based outside Dublin, the industry is not limited to a particular urban area. There is suggestive advertising on the Internet and in the print media. It needs to be monitored. If a massage parlour presents itself as having beautiful girls and so on, one can bet one's life that other activities are going on. Trafficked people work in many of those parlours. This matter must be carefully considered.

The Department must address the issue of accommodation and referrals, as victims cannot be dealt with in the current hostel accommodation. They cannot be sent into the mainstream asylum accommodation that the Department provides. Safe, secure and supportive accommodation must be provided by the Department in a flexible manner that links up with non-governmental organisations.

This problem arises because there is a market for prostitution. We need to address current legislation and practices, which are primarily directed towards criminalising and prosecuting individual providers of sexual services instead of the pimps organising the prostitution and the clients who purchase it. Criminal law and Garda activities need to refocus on the pimps, who are making fortunes from trafficking and exploiting women. Attacking the issue at its roots is the only way through which substantial progress can be made.

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