Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. Trafficking for the purpose of sexual or labour exploitation is an important issue. I welcome the Bill. It is limited, in that it concentrates on the Directive 2011/36/EU on forced begging for the purpose of criminal activity and does not address every trafficking issue. I congratulate the Minister of State on advancing this Bill, but we would welcome more. Perhaps she will outline where we can go from here.

This month's findings of the EEC report show that human trafficking steadily increased from 2008 to 2012. This is cause for grave concern. According to this or another report that I have read, the money earned from trafficking is second only to drug money. This significant problem is worsening.

Recently, I attended a seminar of Parliamentarians Against Human Trafficking hosted by the Lithuanian Parliament. Parliamentarians from across Europe are working to establish a network of parliamentarians and non-governmental organisations to work together on this issue. Trafficking is country-to-country; it is not stationary. The purpose of the seminar was to examine how national governments could better help victims and how this initiative, which has attracted 21 EU countries and more than 100 parliamentarians, could be sustained. I am trying to initiate such a group in our Parliament, in which regard I will work with non-governmental organisations.

I also attended a meeting of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly. Its committee D is working on a report on trafficking. It will take evidence in Dublin next month and we will publish a report at the end of the year.

Another EU-funded initiative is the development of an EU-wide mapping and data collection system to ensure that common benchmarks are used throughout Europe. Each country speaks a different language. I am not referring to English, French or German, but to the terminology used when tracking traffickers. The new system was discussed. I was disappointed to learn that, when the EU made a call for countries to participate in the pilot project, Ireland did not partake. We have missed out on the initial stage of this brilliant project, but I have been told that we can have observer status and join later. Will the Minister of State follow up on this matter? I have the Portuguese contact details, as Portugal is the lead country. We need to be involved in this pilot.

While the Bill is welcome and I congratulate the Minister of State, I have a number of concerns. Senators van Turnhout and Ó Clochartaigh have raised a few of them. We must walk before we run. The issue of support for victims following criminal proceedings is to the fore. For example, they might not be able to speak the language. A timeline should be put in place for the development of supports. Will the Minister of State work towards this?

The OSCE and US trafficking in persons report found Ireland wanting in terms of the identification of trafficked victims. The Bill does not offer a resolution to this outstanding and repeatedly raised issue. Failure to identify victims adequately has led to confusion about the level of trafficking in Ireland. Our prosecution rate is dismal. Throughout Europe, prosecution rates are low even where the level of trafficking is known.

The Minister of State might consider developing a timeline. This Bill does not address everything but we have to work at other issues that were outlined. Unfortunately, there is a lack of safe accommodation in this country for victims. Other areas of trafficking that do not receive attention, namely, special needs and secondary victimisation, were brought to our attention by the Migrant Rights Centre and were mentioned in this House by Senators van Turnhout and Ó Clochartaigh.

There is a final suggestion, one that has been recommended for consideration by the European Union, namely, the appointment of a trafficking rapporteur, such as other countries have. I would like to see Ireland go down that route. Perhaps the Minister of State might comment on the possibility of our achieving this. I would like to hear "when" rather than "if". That issue was also discussed at the recent seminar I attended. Other countries have successfully introduced the position of national rapporteur on trafficking.

It all comes back to co-ordination, a point I consider as I look at the various groups that have been in contact with me at different times in recent years - the Irish Refugee Council, Ruhama, Doras Luimní, the International Refugee Centre, Amnesty International, Stop Sex Trafficking, Children's Rights Alliance acting to prevent trafficking, and Turn Off the Red Light. There are so many organisations working in the area and some co-ordination between them and a rapporteur would be good for the country's action against trafficking. We talk very often about sex trafficking but there is also a great deal of trafficking in labour.