Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is, therefore, very important there is joined-up thinking and that the Garda is not, on the one hand, being given a directive that it should be moving on women or men involved in selling sex on the street and, on the other hand, trying to work with them to ensure the criminalisation of clients and pimps. We need to be careful about that. I very much welcome amendment No. 26. It is welcome and very much in line with the Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality request. Perhaps the Minister of State might consider putting forward an amendment to section 13 of the 1993 Act on Report Stage in line with the overall policy objective of section 20. That would be to extend to section 7A, the new offence that is inserted by section 20 of this Bill, the power of arrest already present for section 7 offences. It is a power of arrest contingent on the new offence in section 7A-----