Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State and am delighted to be present for this debate. I have been waiting for this day. I will outline my interest, in that I am a member of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, BIPA, which is working on a report on trafficking. I welcome and support the Bill. As the Minister of State has outlined its provisions, I will not stick to it, as I only have six minutes and have much to say.

We do not hear enough about this issue, yet it is second only to drug trafficking. Senator Mullen referred to how lucrative it can be. We rightly hear a great deal about drug trafficking, but I would like to hear more about human trafficking, forced labour and sexual exploitation. I hope that we are turning over a new leaf today. I congratulate the Minister of State and the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, on introducing this Bill. The former has outlined how Ireland is one of the most compliant countries with EU directives, albeit not wholly. I will address this point later.

I welcome this open debate and the Minister of State's reference to a small number of issues that are still being considered ahead of Committee Stage and that she is amenable to accepting amendments to effect legislative change. Many problems have been identified during this debate for the Minister of State to consider. The BIPA took evidence in London, Wales, Scotland and Dublin and is working with the justice committee on a joint approach. People travel across borders, the reason for which the BIPA believed it necessary to address this matter. A person being trafficked from A to B must cross borders.

At 1 a.m. today, I returned from a meeting in Lithuania of an interparliamentary group on trafficking. Some time ago, the EU called for a European mapping system. We considered the issues of language and the definition of labour. The EU project is determining how to map trafficking and use the same language - numbers, terminology and definitions - across Europe. In 19 countries, not including Ireland, groups of parliamentarians have been set up to address this matter. On the Order of Business, I asked the Leader to consider setting up such a group to avail of computer technology. It is an EU-funded project of which we should avail. We are too late for the pilot project, but I asked at the weekend whether we could have observer status. A computer system will be developed and there is no point in Ireland re-inventing the wheel. We should be involved. Will the Minister of State take this suggestion on board to determine whether Ireland can participate as an observer? Five countries are involved in the pilot project and 19 are involved in the interparliamentary group. As I mentioned to Senator van Turnhout, our involvement could be under the auspices of BIPA's committee D or an all-party parliamentary group. The Government is doing much to scrutinise this issue through legislation, but are we doing what we are supposed to on a day-to-day basis?

The 57 states of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, OSCE, which aims to protect citizens' human rights, have committed to ensuring that the return of victims of trafficking to their countries of origin is conducted voluntarily and with due regard to victims' safety. We must ensure that their return is voluntary rather than enforced. We must also ensure co-operation on risk assessment.

The Minister of State should consider 12 matters and how we measure up, including appropriate and secure accommodation, psychological and material assistance and access to emergency medical treatment, translations and interpretative centres. Senator Power referred to legal rights, counselling and information. Other matters include assistance to enable victims' rights to be presented and considered and access to education for children.

I also recommend the 60-day recovery period, followed by a six-month renewable temporary residence permission when trafficked, if people wish to assist the Garda Síochána. If, in individual cases, an extension period is necessary - every case is different - it should be considered. It is recommended by the EU that a national rapporteur be appointed in every country. I will send on these ideas to the Minister of State, as she said she would be open to other recommendations. She will not be let off the hook.