Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 120: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason only four of the 151 suspected victims of human trafficking identified in 2008 and to date in 2009 were granted the recovery and reflection period; the location at which the four victims were accommodated; the number of the 151 suspected victims who were held in custody; the number of the 151 victims who face immigration offences; the number who were deported; the status of all 151 suspected victims; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23980/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The figure of one hundred and fifty-one refers to the number of investigations undertaken by the Garda Síochána between 1 January, 2008 and 5 June, 2009, into alleged trafficking, not the number of suspected victims of human trafficking. Such investigations may not relate to an identified victim. The figure also includes enquiries / investigations carried out by the Garda Síochána, at the request of other law enforcement agencies outside the State, in relation to suspected breaches of immigration legislation; while other investigations may relate to offences contrary to the Illegal Immigrants (Trafficking) Act, 2000 - that is the smuggling of illegal immigrants.

Sixty-five persons are being considered as potential victims of trafficking under the provisions of the Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act, 2008, since its enactment on 7 June 2008. The potential of such persons to be victims of human trafficking is based on an allegation which has been made and not on evidence discovered in the course of the investigations concerned.

Four of these sixty-five have so far been suspected, by a member of the Garda Síochána not below the rank of Superintendent, to be the victim of an offence under Section 4 of Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act, 2008, and, as a consequence, they have been granted permission to remain lawfully in the State for the purpose of "recovery and reflection" as provided for in the Administrative Immigration Arrangements for the Protection of Victims of Human Trafficking, which came into operation on 7 June 2008. Three of these four persons have been granted six months temporary residence in the State. The four persons are residing in accommodation provided by the State or provided by an NGO.

Four of the sixty-five are known to have, at some stage, been held in legal custody in the State. Three of the sixty-five were removed from the State. These three people were transferred to the UK as they have asylum applications in that jurisdiction. The case of one of these people has been fully investigated and the person has not been identified as a suspected victim of human trafficking. The other two people are currently resident in the UK. The Garda National Immigration Bureau is continuing to investigate their cases and is working closely with the UK authorities and will travel to the UK to interview both of these people.

The following table shows the immigration status of the

sixty-five (65) persons referred to :