Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is important. I am not sure how to describe what the Senator was quoting but I am quoting from the research that I have looked at and that has been made available to me. The ban on the purchase of sexual services has been an important instrument in preventing and combatting prostitution and human trafficking for sexual purposes.That is in two of the countries where this approach was taken quite some years ago and where there has been time to evaluate the impact. That was precisely the point the Senator was making - the impact ought to be evaluated. We have some very strong research; this is a cutting edge approach and is the right thing to do. The proposals have been developed following extensive consultation, which goes back to 2012. The new offences implement the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality, which called for the introduction of an offence criminalising the purchase of sexual services. I ask the House to support these amendments.