Senator calls for immediate consultation on prostitution

SEANAD:AN RTÉ documentary on prostitution raised profound questions as to how such widespread activity, presumably known to the Garda, could be revealed but was not being prosecuted, Katherine Zappone (Ind) said.

Prime Time Investigatesexposed the chilling reality for hundreds of women who were brought to Ireland and moved from town to town on a regular basis.

It dispelled the myth women were working independently, showing that they were threatened, coerced and effectively enslaved by pimps. It showed, too, that criminalising the women involved did nothing to dismantle the sophisticated infrastructure of the pimps, who remained untouched.

“There is a very clear gender dimension to this problem, said Ms Zappone. “What happened in the education of men that they think they can buy the bodies of women to have their needs met? What happened to our men that they find this acceptable?”

Viewers would be left with profound questions as to how an investigative team could reveal such activity over a six-month period, with this same activity presumably known to the Garda and not being prosecuted, she said.

“There is an inescapable interweaving of trafficking with prostitution, and this exploitation must be addressed. We need legislation that can interrupt this activity, which is an absolute infringement of human rights.”

Ms Zappone said a consultation paper on trafficking and prostitution was due to be made available shortly by Minister for Justice Alan Shatter. “This consultation needs to begin now,” she said.

Ronan Mullen (Ind) agreed and said he regarded as spurious claims that criminalising those who purchased sex made the situation worse for certain persons engaged in prostitution. “We need to make the lives of people who would purchase the bodies of other people much more complicated. We need to target and to hassle them.”

Ned O’Sullivan (FF) said he thought it was time to open up a debate on nuclear power. He agreed with those advocating that we should have the courage to look at this again.

Minister for Energy Pat Rabbitte said he would not be averse to a discussion on the introduction of nuclear energy to this country.

He said we lived in a volatile global environment in which geopolitical events determined whether or not we would have a secure energy supply.

However, he said we should first try to reduce our energy requirements.