Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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808. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he will implement measures in the first 100 days of Government as requested by an organisation (details supplied). [2579/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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Establishing a zero-tolerance approach to domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence (DSGBV) is vital for safeguarding individuals and promoting a safer society. In 2022, the five-year ‘Zero Tolerance’ DSGBV Strategy was published and in January 2024, Cuan, the DSGBV Agency, was established to drive the Strategy forward.

I was very pleased to meet with the CEO of Cuan for an early briefing on their progress. As the Deputy may be aware a fundamental aim of the Zero Tolerance Strategy is to change societal attitudes to sexual violence. Prostitution is recognised in the Strategy as a form of gender-based violence, and there are a number of related actions - including to reduce demand for prostitution, to raise awareness of the law around it, and a commitment to ensure those, primarily women, in prostitution have access to safety, health care, and support. It is generally recognised that prostitution is inherently exploitative of vulnerable persons, mainly women and girls, and that many people are forced into prostitution through trafficking, drug addiction, homelessness and poverty.

An Garda Siochana have reported progress on a number of national and international initiatives targeting organised prostitution and brothel keeping, and collaborated on welfare operations to support potential victims of organised prostitution and sexual exploitation in conjunction with the Women’s Health Service and Ruhama. An Garda Síochána continues to commit significant resources to the investigation of organised prostitution, and to supporting vulnerable victims including those who have been victims of trafficking.

Cuan is also engaging with partners across Government specifically to reduce demand for prostitution and ensure that those, primarily women, in prostitution have access to safety, health care, support and exit routes.

Cuan will work with my Department to consider and progress recommendations arising from the Review of Part 4 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017. The agency will also undertake exploratory work and partner with organisations, including Ruhama, to develop research to inform a prostitution-focussed awareness campaign that will be developed in the future.

While the sale of sex has been decriminalised in Ireland in recent years (by the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017) , the purchase of sex is illegal, and advertising prostitution services is illegal in Ireland. Websites advertising prostitution services are generally hosted outside of this jurisdiction, where purchase of sex and advertising of prostitution is not illegal. My Department is consulting with An Garda Síochána and other stakeholders to examine if practical steps can be taken about these and similar sites. While measures such as geo-blocking could ensure short-term disruption of access to these websites in Ireland, it is not clear that this would be effective in the longer-term.

I also share concerns raised regarding the prevalence of violent and abusive pornography, and the negative impact it has, especially on our young people. This is an area that requires a whole-of-Government approach, and I want to highlight a couple of areas on which I look forward to working with Cuan, the sector and colleagues across Government:

Cuan will be working with statutory partners including An Garda Síochána and Coimisiún na Meán to develop considered whole-of-government strategies to respond to technology-facilitated sexual exploitation, to highlight the dangers and to prevent children accessing pornography.

Under its mandate, Cuan will research, develop and subsequently disseminate materials which consider a continuum of relationships from healthy to unhealthy which will complement Department of Education initiatives in this area. There are also actions to develop education and public information campaigns raising awareness of the extreme harm of pornography and of how it can fuel misogyny and violence against women, and undermine gender equality.

Cuan has been engaging with partners and stakeholders to understand the research as it pertains to pornography and its linkages with violence against women and children. This will help in identifying a new range of actions, including the development of a public awareness campaign around the harms of pornography. This is a complex issue that requires a well-researched and considered response.

In 2025, the school curriculum and corresponding resources at primary level, junior and senior cycle SPHE/RSE will include age-appropriate content on consent, domestic violence and coercive control. Cuan has developed two comprehensive Consent Education Toolkit handbooks for ages ranging from 12-19, aligned with junior and senior cycle SPHE outcomes.

Actions in the Strategy in respect of education, including on updating the curriculum and educating about consent, are whole-of-Government initiatives, which we are committed to achieving.