Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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448. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the extent to which her Department is focused on the prevention of human trafficking and the protection of those vulnerable to such activity; the degree to which North-South co-operation exists, and can be developed in this regard, as recently put forward at recent North-South parliamentary discussions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28502/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Strong legislative, administrative and operational measures have been put in place in Ireland to combat and prevent trafficking in human beings. The Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act 2008, with penalties of up to life imprisonment for human trafficking, greatly strengthened the law in this area and this legislation was further bolstered in 2013 with new forms of exploitation, for forced begging and forced criminal activities, being provided for in new legislation.

A dedicated Anti-Human Trafficking Unit was established in the Department of Justice and Equality with the purpose of ensuring that the State's response to human trafficking is coordinated and comprehensive. A new National Action Plan to Prevent and Combat Human Trafficking in Ireland was recently issued for consultation to civil society organisations active in this field. This new Plan seeks to build on progress made to date in this area and address issues raised in independent international evaluations of Ireland’s response to this important issue. The new National Action Plan will outline both the Government’s strategic approach to this issue as well as setting out a clear work programme for the relevant state authorities to collaborate with civil society and agencies in other jurisdictions in advancing the fight against trafficking and enhancing the protection of victims.

This year, and for the past few years, An Garda Síochána, in its Annual Policing Plan, has identified trafficking in human beings as one of its priorities with an increased focus given to prevention and detection of human trafficking. The Garda Commissioner has recently established the Child Protection and Human Exploitation Unit within An Garda Síochána. This unit includes Child Protection, Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Investigation Unit (DVSAIU) and the Human Trafficking Investigation and Coordination Unit. A Detective Chief Superintendent has taken charge of this new unit.

Specific detailed training is provided to members of An Garda Síochána. Over 900 have participated in the in-depth training course developed jointly by An Garda Síochána and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The most recent course took place in late June 2015. Since 2007, PSNI officers have attended this course and contributed greatly by sharing their experiences with members of An Garda Síochána. There are also a wide range of other training and awareness raising activities on-going and extensive consultation structures exist with up to 70 State Agencies, Non- Governmental Organisations and International Organisations.

The State provides a wide range of support services to victims of human trafficking, these include: accommodation, medical care and planning, psychological assistance, material assistance, legal aid and advice, vocational training and education.

There is frequent contact between the Department’s Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) and the Department of Justice Northern Ireland (DOJNI) to discuss issues of mutual concern in relation to human trafficking and to share experiences. AHTU and the DOJNI have a very close working relationship and work together on awareness raising activity where appropriate and possible. For example, there have been two cross border forums on human trafficking involving representatives from a wide range of State, Non-Governmental and International Organisations from both sides of the border. The first in October 2013 focussed on trafficking for sexual exploitation and looked at issues such as victim location and demand reduction measures. The second event took place in January 2015. This conference focused on forced labour.

AHTU, in partnership with Ruhama, has been successful in obtaining EU funding for an all island project aimed at delivering activities that promote zero tolerance of human trafficking as a form of violence against women. The Department of Justice Northern Ireland, Women's Aid Northern Ireland and the PSNI are also partners in this project. Further information on the REACH project is available on www.reachproject.eu.

The Organised Crime Task Force Sub Group on Human Trafficking and Illegal Immigration meets at Stormont on a quarterly basis. The Detective Inspector of the Human Trafficking Investigation and Co-ordination Unit (HTICU) is a member of this group. The function of the Group is to monitor trends and facilitate the detection and prevention of human trafficking and illegal immigration, which has a cross-land border dimension. Further information on the measures taken to tackle human trafficking can be found on the State's dedicated anti-trafficking website www.blueblindfold.gov.ie.