Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I was delighted to attend just now the launch of the Yes Equality bus which will be making a nationwide tour over the coming four weeks. It will be calling for a Yes vote in the marriage equality referendum on 22 May. We have debated this issue already in this House, of course, but I ask colleagues to keep an eye out for the bus when it visits their local area and to tweet if they see it.

Yesterday a number of us called for a debate on a drug and alcohol strategy. I ask the Leader if he could ascertain when the public health (alcohol) Bill is likely to come before the Seanad. An excellent conference was organised in Dublin yesterday by Alcohol Action Ireland. It focused on girls, women and alcohol and the changing nature of female alcohol consumption, which is a particular issue of growing concern to those involved in seeking to reduce harm caused by alcohol. Among the issues debated at the conference was the issue of the public heath (alcohol) Bill and what can be done to bring that forward. Some very serious issues were raised at the conference about the level of alcohol-related harm in Ireland. That strengthens the call for debate on this issue. We might also seek to ascertain when we will have the specific legislation on this issue before us.

I also ask for a debate on the issue of prostitution and how best to reform the law. A report by the justice committee recommended criminalising the purchase of sex. The Minister for Justice and Equality brought forward a draft scheme of legislation before Christmas in which these provisions are contained. We very much welcome that and I have spoken in this House on the matter. I note, however, that some other measures to address prostitution may also be needed in the Bill. The justice committee has already asked the Minister to examine including those measures in the Bill.

This morning, Ruhama, along with the justice Departments in this jurisdiction and in the North, launched an all-Ireland, EU-funded campaign called Prostitution - We Don't Buy It. It asks men and boys to take a stand against sex trafficking and prostitution. It is an innovative and interesting campaign which is being run on an all-Ireland basis and it is supported by the justice Departments North and South. This campaign strengthens the calls for a debate on this issue and the calls to examine when we will forward the legislation the Minister has already published in a general scheme and the other provisions which may also be needed to ensure that we adopt an approach similar to that used in Sweden, where the purchase of sex is criminalised but the women engaged in the sale of sex are not.