Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister's presence to deal with this very important issue concerning human trafficking. Slavery was abolished throughout the world many years ago, but unfortunately it still operates through the crime of human trafficking. Many people living in disadvantaged parts of the world are desperate to escape from their economic situation. As a result, they put themselves in the hands of individuals who promise to take them from those developing countries into countries in Europe and America. We must recognise the extent of the problem. Many women avail of the opportunities to be transported from one country to Europe, sometimes Ireland, in the belief that they are coming here to work in jobs that will be profitable for them. As Deputy Breathnach noted, unfortunately, many of these women find themselves in a sex industry that is fuelled by the pursuit of money. It is not only women who are the victims of these crimes. Men are also coming from impoverished countries in the belief that they will gain normal employment. They end up being exploited by unmeritorious and unfair employers who decide that they want to use them to avoid meeting their obligations under employment law. There are also horrific examples of people being trafficked for organ harvesting. I do not believe that it is an issue that has arisen in Ireland, but it is part of the international problem posed by human trafficking. It is crucial, in light of what happened tragically in Essex and the Irish association with that, that we are not complacent about our obligations under international law. We must ensure that Ireland is at the forefront of standing up for our obligations to fight human trafficking so that these vulnerable people can be protected.

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