Fiach MacConghail (Independent) | Oireachtas source

There are not that many. I have been waiting since 2011 for this.

We might be a long way from significant improvement on this issue but that is why we must make this change now. In the short few months since Northern Ireland changed its law on 1 June last, the Immigrant Council of Ireland has recorded a marked increase in prostitution in Border areas such as Dundalk, as Senator Ó Clochartaigh mentioned. We are in danger of becoming a safe haven for traffickers and pimps if we do not act now. Victims of prostitution and trafficking are individuals who, in almost all cases, find themselves without options or personal choice. As the Government of this country, we must start making changes to re-open the choices of these women and girls, and this Bill is an excellent start.