Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am ad idemwith the Minister of State on reducing the level of prostitution, and I agree fully that one of the ways to do so is to tackle the demand. However, the point I make is that if he is really serious about reducing it, why not tackle the supply side also, where it is not being produced by women who are vulnerable in any of the categories I mentioned? There are women who do it as a career because it is very profitable. Why not take the same approach to them? I see no good reason why the Minister of State would not. I do not disagree with tackling the demand side, because he is correct there, but for those who participate very willingly, have no qualms with regard to doing it, find it highly profitable and are not in any of the vulnerable categories that all of us would want to protect and not criminalise, why do we not make a distinction? That is the point I am making.