Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Cian O'Callaghan for bringing this Bill forward. It is difficult to know what to say on this issue. It is difficult to sum up how abhorrent it is for anyone to prey on vulnerable women and to leverage shelter for sex. This issue has come to the forefront in recent weeks, primarily due to the tireless reporting by Ann Murphy in the Irish Examiner, as well as the arrival of more than 10,000 Ukrainians who are in desperate need of accommodation in an environment where there is already a chronic housing shortage. The outpouring of goodwill from the public has been genuinely heartwarming to witness, to see thousands of people offer their home to those who have had to abandon their own home in fear of their lives.

However, in every crisis there will be individuals who will take advantage. The Irish Examinerreported on a property in Clare which was on offer for free to a "slim Ukrainian woman" with the expectation of sex. The landlord in question requested that women send him a photograph and he would then let them know if they were deemed suitable. It is hard to comprehend how anyone could watch Ukrainian hospitals bombed, Mariupol being starved and bombarded and millions flee across neighbouring borders and only see an opportunity to sexually exploit vulnerable women in that context. However, it is happening both in Ireland and across Europe. It has always happened. Abusers hone in on vulnerability. This type of exploitation has always been about an abuse of power as much as of the person. The people arriving in Ireland from Ukraine are in an incredibly vulnerable position. They have left everything behind them and have landed in Ireland with no support base and, in many cases, without English or very little English. They have also been absolutely traumatised.

The Government has announced that it will conduct Garda vetting for people offering rooms to children and vulnerable adults, but we all can agree that every person needs to be protected from this type of abuse. Not everyone is going through official accommodation channels or the Irish Red Cross. Many Ukrainian refugees are taking up housing offers through Facebook groups which have been set up to help them. Vetting will only apply to people using official channels and, of course, will only determine whether the people offering the accommodation have a criminal record. We are all too aware of the shortcomings in that regard, given the appalling conviction rates for sexual assault and rape in this country.

Foreign nationals are often the most targeted group by sex for rent offers because they are seen as the most vulnerable. Chantal arrived in Ireland last October to start a new career and shared her experiences with the Irish Examinerand "The Pat Kenny Show". Three people asked her for sex in lieu of rent. She said she was really upset, disgusted and afraid. She is here alone, without family, and was facing this. She felt hopeless about it. This Bill will criminalise sex for rent, but the Government has to be much more proactive, as Deputy Cian O'Callaghan outlined. It must work with housing and social media sites to ensure they are identifying these posts and filtering them out, as well as banning the people responsible for them.

Renters in Ireland are vulnerable, and we have known that for years. With a shortage of supply and unaffordable rents, people are desperate.

Trying to find accommodation to rent is a minefield for a woman. Housing advertisements on daft.ieand Facebook groups are constantly appearing with the offer of reduced rent for women with the expectation that sex or sharing a bed with the landlord would be required. It is just absolutely unbelievable that this would be the case. I have heard from a young woman who when trying to arrange viewings was sent the address of a nearby pub because the landlord insisted on having a drink and getting to know this woman first. On another occasion the same woman attended a viewing and was told directly by the tenant subletting the apartment that it would be offered at a reduced rate for sex. When she googled his email address later on, she found he ran a website for upskirt pictures of women taken without their consent.

The sexual exploitation of women for housing is not a new phenomenon. Whenever there is a scarcity of resources and a desperate need to get accommodation, abusers will always take advantage. I welcome that the Government is not opposing this legislation and I know there is goodwill right across the Dáil on this. However, there is an urgency to this and I ask the Minister of State to respond to Deputy Cian O'Callaghan on the timeline for what is intended in this Bill. This could be put through the Houses quite quickly because there is goodwill.

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