Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

This code has just been published and as I said, there are issues of concern in it, although there are some welcome aspects. I am very glad to see there will be no fast-tracking of home repossessions and no forcing people off tracker mortgages, both of which the banks wanted but did not get. We need a reasoned debate and to look at what measures in the code will help people in distress with mortgage arrears and at where it needs to be strengthened. We should have that debate in due course but I do not think it would be appropriate to have it today.

I welcome the publication yesterday of the scheme for the survivors of Magdalen laundries institutions. We might have a debate on that when we have looked in detail at the terms of that scheme.

Will the Leader arrange a debate in early course on the report of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Equality and Defence on a review of legislation on prostitution which it published today? Senators Zappone, Mac Conghail, Conway and I were among those present for the launch of that report. It is a hugely important report which makes radical recommendations for reform of the law on prostitution. The report was conducted at the instigation of the Minister who is actively looking at reform of the law in this area. The Independent nominees to the Seanad initiated this review through their motions in this House, so it has an important ownership of the report. It would be great if we could have a debate on this report in early course. I will ask the Chairman of the committee, Deputy David Stanton, to write formally to the Leader to ask for that debate, as I have asked him to do in respect of the committee's report on penal reform.

Members will be interested to hear that the report on prostitution recommends that we adopt the Swedish approach to legislation where we criminalise only the purchase of sex and not the sale, so effectively we decriminalise those engaged in prostitution but we criminalise the purchasers. It would only be a summary offence, so it would be a minor offence only.