Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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421. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of cases that the Garda human trafficking investigation and co-ordination unit has dealt with in 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47240/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Human trafficking is a particularly heinous crime, based on deception and exploitation of vulnerable people.

This Government is serious about preventing and prosecuting human trafficking. We are confident that the victim-centred policy approach we are taking will encourage more victims to come forward which will, in turn, strengthen prosecutions and convictions.

The General Scheme of the Criminal Justice (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2022, published in July, will put a revised National Referral Mechanism (NRM) on a statutory footing, making it easier for victims of trafficking to come forward, be identified, and access support.

The NRM is the framework through which the State fulfils its obligations to protect and promote the human rights of trafficking victims, working in partnership with civil society.

The proposed new NRM was approved by Government in May 2021 and is a key component in combatting human trafficking. It will provide for civil society groups that support victims to refer them for formal identification and will make it easier for victims of human trafficking to come forward and be identified so they can access all of the supports and resources that are available to them.

This is a clear demonstration of Ireland’s commitment to identify and support victims of this abhorrent crime and it will strengthen our international reputation in this area.

I also want to draw the Deputy's attention to the advanced work to develop a new National Action Plan on human trafficking.

My Department has engaged with a working group to draft the new National Action Plan high-level goals and outcomes. A draft Action Plan has been prepared and I intend to engage in a further round of stakeholder consultations before the plan is finalised and submitted to Government for approval in Q4 2022.

Other significant measures introduced in Ireland to combat trafficking, create a more victim-centred approach to identifying and supporting victims, and to raise awareness and provide training, include -

- The development of training, through NGOs, targeting front line staff in industries such as hospitality, airline, shipping and security who may come into contact with trafficked persons

- Increased funding for supporting victims of crime generally and increased funding dedicated specifically to supporting victims of trafficking.

- For the past number of years the Department of Justice has partnered with the United Nations International Organisation for Migration (IOM) office in Dublin on an annual campaign to raise awareness in society that victims of trafficking can be found anywhere and can be hidden in plain sight and we are looking forward to building on this work with IOM.

The Third National Strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence that I recently launched contains an action to identify linkages between the implementation plan accompanying the Strategy, and the National Action Plan on human trafficking, as well as ensuring actions to prevent prostitution and combat trafficking for sexual exploitation are addressed in an integrated manner.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that a search of the PULSE database was conducted on 22 September 2022 to identify any incident of PULSE category “Human Trafficking” which includes the following types:

- Labour Exploitation - Person Other Than A Child

- Sexual Exploitation - Person Other Than A Child

- Labour Exploitation Of A Child

- Sexual Exploitation Of A Child

- Soliciting or Importuning for Prostitution

- Other Offences

- Any incident of PULSE category ‘Miscellaneous’ and of type ‘Human Trafficking Offences’

I have been advised that the count of unique incidents for the full year 2021 and YTD to 21/09/2022 is as follows:

Information provided is taken from PULSE as of 22 September 2022; it is operational and may be liable to change. Crime counting rules have not been applied to the incident count.