Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 585: To ask the Minister for Justice and Law Reform the progress he has made in implementing the national action plan to combat human trafficking, specifically awareness raising by means of targeted campaigns, programmes and information aimed at law enforcement and front-line personnel, victims, migrant communities, countries of origin; the development of a data strategy to establish the nature and extent of human trafficking in Ireland that will provide an evidential basis for future policies and programmes to tackle trafficking in persons; the provision of accommodation, medical treatment, counselling, material assistance, legal aid and advice and interpretation and translation where necessary; access to the labour market for persons not in the asylum system who are granted six months temporary residence permits renewable; information outlining the rights and services available to potential or suspected victims or both and the contact details for organisations which will be useful to a potential and or suspected victim; with reference to child victims, the progress he has made regarding counselling and debriefing, together with a multidisciplinary assessment of need and a care plan ending of the practice of accommodating children in hostels; placing children with families in local communities throughout the State; whether an emergency alert system for missing children similar to Amber alert in place in other countries should be established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1245/11]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Dedicated anti-human trafficking units have been established in the Garda Síochána, the Health Service Executive (HSE), the Legal Aid Board (LAB) and the Department of Justice and Law Reform (Anti-Human Trafficking Unit - AHTU).

To date, a total of 495 Gardaí have participated in an in-depth training course entitled 'Tackling Trafficking in Human Beings: Prevention, Protection and Prosecution'.Members of other police forces also participated in this training.Awareness raising training on human trafficking has also been delivered to a total of 2,956 probationer Gardaí during their final phase of training.Basic awareness raising human trafficking related training has been provided to 32 members of the Garda Reserve.Training on human trafficking, including identification, has also recently been provided to Senior Investigating Officers of the Garda Síochána. In July 2010 a representative of the Garda Síochána made a presentation to the Circuit Court Judges Annual Conference.During 2010 members of the Garda Síochána and representatives from the AHTU made presentations on human trafficking to regional seminars organised by the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA). The services of a Crime Prevention Officer is made available to potential victims of human trafficking by An Garda Síochána to assess any risk to the victim and to provide appropriate advice.

Specialised training has been provided to staff of the LAB who are providing legal assistance and advice to potential and suspected victims of trafficking in human beings.

A 'Train the Trainer' course was delivered to staff of 13 Public Sector organisations likely to encounter victims of trafficking. Since the completion of this training, a total of 180 persons in four of the organisations have received training on human trafficking given by those who participated in the 'Train the Trainers' course.Training of further staff is planned.Information seminars have also been provided to consular staff in the Department of Foreign Affairs being posted abroad and to staff in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation responsible for the granting of work permits.

A national awareness raising campaign ''The Blue Blindfold Campaign'' was launched by the Garda Commissioner and I on 21 October 2008.Since the campaign, my Department's Anti-Human Trafficking Unit and the Garda Síochána have been actively engaged in further raising awareness of the issues through writing articles on human trafficking in numerous publications, making presentations at conferences and third level colleges and engaging with both governmental and private sector organisations to highlight the issues.I opened a film festival at Liberty Hall featuring films on labour exploitation targeting transition year students and trafficking for sexual exploitation targeting adults to coincide with EU Anti-Trafficking Day on 18 October 2010.

AHTU, in consultation with the Awareness Raising and Training Working Group, has designed, published and distributed leaflets on Labour Exploitation and Sexual Exploitation.These leaflets set out the indicators of trafficking for labour and sexual exploitation, contain sample case studies and contact details. AHTU is also finalising a Guide to Procedures which outlines the rights and services available to potential and/or suspected victims and the contact details for organisations that will be useful to a potential and/or suspected victim and service providers.The Garda Síochána recently participated in a nationwide human trafficking related awareness raising campaign undertaken by Ruhama with information packs and awareness raising leaflets developed by Ruhama disseminated to targeted personnel in An Garda Síochána likely to encounter victims of human trafficking.

Ireland, through the Department of Foreign Affairs/Irish Aid Stability Fund, is providing €100,000 in funding towards the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe project for the enhancement of anti-trafficking measures in the Ukraine.Under the current phase of the Irish Aid - International Labour Organisation (ILO) Partnership Programme which commenced on 1 August 2008, Ireland is providing €9 million over 3 years (2008-2011) to the ILO for activities across a range of countries.A total of €1.8 million or 20% of the budget has been allocated to the ILO Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour.

AHTU produced a Summary Statistical Report for 2009 containing information on the nature and extent of human trafficking in Ireland based on information provided by An Garda Síochána and the Non-governmental Organisations working in the area of human trafficking.A Summary Statistical Report for 2010 is currently being prepared.

The RIA provides direct provision accommodation to potential and suspected victims of human trafficking prior to and for the duration of the 60 day Recovery and Reflection period provided for in the Administrative Immigration Arrangements for the Protection of Victims of Human Trafficking. Suspected victims who choose to assist with the investigation or prosecution of the trafficking offence, where applicable, may be granted a 6 month temporary residence permission and are assisted in making the transition from direct provision to mainstream social services including access to the labour market by the Asylum Seekers and New Communities Unit of the HSE.

A total of 39 cases have been referred by the GNIB to the dedicated team in the LAB providing legal assistance and advice to potential and suspected victims of human trafficking between November 2009 when the service was first provided and 1 December 2010.56 referrals have been made to the HSE dedicated team to devise and deliver individual care plans - including counselling where appropriate - in the period since the HSE started to providing services up to December 2010.Interpretation and translation are made available by all the service providers when required.

The HSE has confirmed that all newly arriving children receive a professional Social Work Assessment and this includes an assessment of the potential of the child being a victim of trafficking.From January 2010, all newly arriving children under 12 years were placed on arrival in a foster care placement.The newly arrived child over 12 years was placed in one of the four registered residential intake units for up to, at most, four to six weeks, where a preliminary assessment of the child and their needs was carried out by a social worker in conjunction with qualified residential social care staff. Input from a Psychologist was available if required.This assessment informed the most appropriate care option, and identified if the child would need additional supports/links.All children/young people are allocated a Social Worker on arrival and an initial care plan is developed in conjunction with Social/Care staff and educational input from the Department of Education and Science.Medical assessment takes place and referral to specialist services is made if required.Two hostels closed in July 2010 and the remaining two closed on 31 December. By December, the 15 hostel residents were all over 18 years and moved to adult services in Dublin to facilitate the completion of the academic year ending July 2011.Children and young people are placed in foster care placements with approved and trained foster carers. The Joint Garda/HSE Protocol is followed when children or young people are reported missing and the Garda website is utilised where appropriate.

Following my request to the Garda Síochána Inspectorate to assess the need to establish a dedicated Missing Persons Unit within An Garda Síochána, including a response similar to Amber Alert, and to report their findings to me, the Inspectorate published its report in March 2009.One of its main recommendations was that an emergency alert system for missing children, similar to the Amber Alert system in place in other countries, should be established.In April, 2009 I gave the go ahead for the implementation of this recommendation.An Garda Síochána has commenced work on developing the most appropriate structure to give effect to the recommendation, taking account of progress at international level in the development of alert systems for missing children.I am informed by the Garda authorities that an Assistant Commissioner has been appointed to oversee the introduction of such an alert system in this jurisdiction.The development of such a system is complex and requires a multi-agency approach.It will provide An Garda Síochána with access to on-air broadcasters and other means of communication during the critical period immediately after a child abduction.This will require the co-operation of a range of agencies, including Government Departments, phone service providers, electronic and print media, television and radio service providers and the public.