Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 172: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has read the recently published Trafficking in Persons Report 2009; his views on the report and on the accounts of human rights violations therein; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26651/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I have read the US Trafficking in Persons (TIPs) Report 2009 which was published by the US State Department recently. The Report makes a valuable contribution to research in the area of human trafficking. It sheds light on this modern day form of slavery and sets out the efforts countries are making to counteract these abuses.

Insofar as human trafficking in Ireland is concerned the Government is committed to taking all possible action to offer protection to the victims of trafficking and to pursue those involved in this evil trade. The Report acknowledges that significant progress is being made in Ireland on the issue of human trafficking. It should be noted that the situation is, in fact, better than that reflected in the Report as it (the TIPs Report) was prepared prior to the publication by me on 10 June, 2009 of the National Action Plan to Prevent and Combat Trafficking of Human Beings in Ireland 2009-2012. This Plan contains a comprehensive approach to all aspects of human trafficking.

One of the main criticisms made in the Report relates to the lack of convictions in relation to trafficking in this jurisdiction. It has to be borne in mind that the Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act has only been in force since June 2008 and investigations into suspected trafficking are inevitably complex. Since then 65 persons have being considered as potential victims of trafficking under the provisions of this Act. 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. When the investigations are complete an investigation file will be prepared and submitted to the Law Officers for consideration as to what charges, if any, are to be preferred, on the basis of the evidence adduced in the course of the investigations.