Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have dealt with the Deputy's questions. Robust legislation is in place that addresses organised prostitution and human trafficking for sexual exploitation, including the prostitution and trafficking of children. It is sometimes forgotten that such legislation is in place. I need to get the responses we have sought from the Department of Health and Children and from the Attorney General before we can adequately advance this matter. We will then need to make decisions based on the detailed report received, the diversity of views expressed, the recommendations of the committee and the legal advices obtained from the Office of the Attorney General. I hope we will be in a position to do all this next year, having engaged in a very careful deliberative process and having regard to the whole variety of issues. I cannot simply deal with this issue from a justice perspective as there are very serious and important health issues, some of which have been dealt with in great detail outside the State but which were not dealt with in detail by the committee. The committee was asked a question about certain health issues but it did not deal in the detail with which the matter is being considered elsewhere. I must be very careful that from the point of view of public policy we consider this issue comprehensively. I note with interest that the French Parliament has recently taken steps to implement in France the legislation applicable in Sweden. This issue is getting wider discussion across Europe and we will be engaged constructively in this discussion in 2014.

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