Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have already had 27 minutes on the issue. In my last three minutes I will refer to an article in The Guardianthis year by a lady called Laura Lee. She has engaged in sex work in Northern Ireland. She pointed out that she was enraged by the decision of the Northern Ireland Executive to bring in changes to the law governing prostitution under the Northern Ireland Human Trafficking and Exploitation Act. She believes this policy is motivated by the moral conservatism of the parties concerned but that it is cloaked in the more universally acceptable anti-trafficking justification. Under section 15 of the new Act anyone convicted of paying for sex can be sentenced to a maximum of one year of imprisonment or a fine or both. Currently, she works 50% of her time in Northern Ireland and the other 50% in Scotland. She says that since the introduction of the law, she has found working in Northern Ireland far more dangerous. People are not willing to use online booking forms or to divulge their details. Everyone suddenly has become John, she said. She maintains there has been no reduction in demand but that it is far more difficult to keep herself safe.

During the past decade women have increasingly relied on the Internet to protect themselves against violent or unpleasant clients and they turn to sites such as the National Ugly Mugs website and others to help to make themselves safe. She points out that because of the new legislation clients are far less likely to be open or to give their details. It amounts to life becoming far more difficult and dangerous for sex workers. They used to share information about difficult clients to help with the safety of others, but that is no longer an option.

The police have made it plain to her that they are already stretched to the maximum. She says there is a hierarchy of crimes. Let us suppose someone is zooming around Belfast in a stolen car at the same time as consenting adults are behind closed doors having sex. It is pretty obvious who the police are going to go after. The idea that putting pressure on adult consensual sex work will make it disappear is not a human-rights-based approach.

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