Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 412: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the progress regarding his proposal to bring in tougher penalties for trafficking, ensuring greater prosecution of traffickers and to improve support services for their victims, particularly for those who are the victims of sexual exploitation. [15475/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The penalty provisions provided in the Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act are set out in the reply to Question No. 219 of 12 November 2008. I am informed by the Garda Síochána that there are currently forty-six investigations ongoing under this legislation, on completion of which investigation files will be submitted to the Law Officers.

Section 2 of the Illegal Immigrants (Trafficking) Act, 2000 created the offence of trafficking in illegal immigrants. In 2008, two persons were prosecuted for breaches of this Section, one of whom was convicted before the District Court of three counts and received the Probation Act. The other person is charged with one count of an offence under this Section and is currently before the Courts. To date in 2009, one person has been charged with a section 2 offence and was convicted before the District Court, receiving the benefit of the Probation Act.

With regard to support services, the Administrative Immigration Arrangements for the Protection of Victims of Human Trafficking facilitate the granting of an immigration status to alleged victims in the State. They provide for a sixty day recovery and reflection period. As indicated in the reply to Question No. 219 of 12 November 2008 where the person wishes to assist the Garda Síochána in any investigation or prosecution in relation to the alleged trafficking, a further six months period of residence, renewable, is provided to enable him or her to do so. Other measures of assistance such as accommodation, medical treatment, counselling have been put in place and they and other services continue to be developed by my Department, in conjunction with Governmental and non-governmental organisations.