Derek Nolan (Galway West, Labour)
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517. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality when she will finalise legislation to deal with Ireland's prostitution laws on foot of last year's Oireachtas joint committee's report on this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12106/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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On 27 November, I published the General Scheme of a Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill which includes two new offences of purchasing, in the context of prostitution, sexual services.

The first is a general offence of purchasing sexual services which carries a penalty of a fine of up to €500 for a first offence and fines of up to €1000 for a second or subsequent offence. The second is the more serious offence of purchasing a sexual service from a trafficked person and carries a potential penalty of up to 5 years imprisonment and/or a fine. In both cases, the person selling the sexual service will not be subject to an offence.

These proposals have been developed following extensive consultation, initiated by my Department, dating back to 2012. The new offences also implement the recommendation from the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Equality and Defence which called for the introduction of an offence criminalising the purchase of sexual services.

The Bill is priority legislation and is currently being drafted. It is my intention to publish the Bill in the current parliamentary session.