At least 76 women have been trafficked into Ireland in the past seven years for sexual exploitation, according to Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan who introduced legislation carrying penalties of up to life imprisonment for such exploitation.
The Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Bill 2007 creates specific criminal offences of trafficking persons for the purpose of their sexual or labour exploitation or for the removal of their organs.
Mr Lenihan said that recent research suggests that the trafficking of 76 women "is 76 too many and is indicative of a small but growing problem".
The Minister said the Bill would send a very clear message "on our determination to ensure that Ireland does not become a destination or transit point in the evil trade of trafficking in human beings".
He pointed out that "this year marks the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade in the former British Empire.
"Trafficking in persons has been described as a form of modern day slavery and I want to send a clear message.
"The criminal trading of people, as commodities, for whatever purpose, has no place in a modern Ireland.
"This form of modern day slavery is an evil crime with no regard by the perpetrators for the human or social consequences."
Fine Gael spokesman on immigration and integration Denis Naughten described Ireland as a "target country" and said it had been pinpointed as a major route for trafficking children doomed to a life of slavery or prostitution in Britain.
"Traffickers will always find the weakest link and reports have highlighted the fact that in Ireland they have discovered one of the easiest ways to the United Kingdom."
He added that the issue could not be dealt with in isolation. Mr Naughten highlighted the need to deal with false documentation.
"Anyone can purchase a false [ driving] licence for €10 or €15 and it is farcical to think it is a secure form of identification.
"The Government cannot continue to turn a blind eye to this issue."
He added that "passports issued through the passport office in Dublin are different from those issued by Irish embassies. Those issued by embassies are of an inferior quality and they are open to forgery.
"With today's technology, I cannot understand why we cannot ensure the same quality of passport issued by the Passport Office in Molesworth Street is issued by our embassies. That is leading to abuse and the forging of documentation."
He also criticised the system around PPS numbers. Officials in the Department of Social and Family Affairs "do not have the available technology to identify false documentation and they have very poor training in spotting such documentation.
"We are literally doling out these PPS numbers, which give people access to employment and State services.
"Why are we allowing such a significant loophole to exist within the Irish system?"
Labour's justice spokesman Pat Rabbitte suggested that the reported numbers of trafficked women were probably "only the tip of the iceberg" because of the "invisibility of the sex industry".
