Sheila Terry (Fine Gael)

I am dismayed that the Government is not taking this issue seriously. We must have specific legislation dealing with the sexual exploitation of women. Senator Tuffy outlined well the way the United Nations has highlighted our deficiencies in this area and that gardaí, as highlighted in last night's programme, are not trained in this area.

We must introduce legislation that will protect these women when they manage to free themselves from their pimps. Instead of being put into Mountjoy Prison and then deported, they must be given temporary residency here and looked after until such time as they can be rehabilitated. We must let them choose where they want to go. Many of them are in fear of their lives when they are sent home because those men threaten to kill them or members of their families. It is a horrifying story for so many women and I want to support them. We must ensure that we protect them and that this industry does not flourish here, which is the case currently.

I was horrified to learn that this is going on not just in Dublin but in towns throughout the country; a town in the midlands was mentioned last night. I was horrified by what is going on and the way women are treated as somebody's property to be used and abused. I hope the Leader will join with us in trying to introduce the legislation that will deal with this problem.