Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 250: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will, as a matter of urgency, introduce initiatives to introduce measures to have the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children and the Council of Europe's Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings ratified by the Irish Government; if he will enact laws aimed at preventing this human rights abuse, penalising those who engage in it, protecting and rehabilitating those trafficked; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19680/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Legislation creating an offence of recruiting, transporting, transferring to another person, harbouring or knowingly arranging or facilitating the entry into, travel within or departure from the State of a person for the specific purpose of the trafficked person's sexual or labour exploitation or removal of his or her organs is at present being drafted in the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel.

In addition, it is intended that the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill, 2007 will, upon enactment, provide a framework to deal with immigration related matters arising from the relevant protection provisions in the Council of Europe Convention on action against trafficking in persons. On enactment of these pieces of legislation, which I am treating as an urgent priority within my Department, Ireland will be in a position to ratify the international instruments on trafficking in persons.