Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputies for their contributions. I want to deal with those two technical points raised and provide factual information on them. The first relates to the public loitering section mentioned by Deputy Catherine Connolly. I removed that on Committee Stage so that is no longer in the Bill.

Second, Deputy Ruth Coppinger is right. Deleting the entire section will reintroduce the offence of solicitation by those offering sexual services. That offence is being removed by paragraph (a) of the section. Deputy Clare Daly has commented on that. I am not saying anything about the motivation behind it. I am just making the point that it does that. In deleting the whole section we go back to the original legislation and so we are reintroducing the offence, which is the opposite of what Deputies actually wanted to do with regard to solicitation.

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