The Immigrant Council of Ireland (ICI) will today announce details of a major research project it has commissioned into the trafficking of women and children into Ireland for sexual exploitation.
The year-long project, the largest of its kind to be conducted here, will look at the extent, causes and best ways to respond to trafficking of women and children into the State.
Denise Charlton, chief executive, the ICI, said that groups working with migrants believed that the number of women and children being trafficked here for sex was "far bigger" than the number of cases coming to the attention of the authorities.
"The scale of trafficking into Ireland is unknown, but the reportedly small number of cases investigated by gardaí is believed to be the tip of the iceberg," she said. Ruhama, an organisation that works with women involved in prostitution, knows of more than 200 women who were trafficked into Ireland in the past seven years, but believes that the real figure is much higher.
Once this research has determined how many women and children are being trafficked, the ICI will make recommendations to counter the problem.
"We aim to recommend the best ways to protect and provide services for victims, and to deal with perpetrators, based on international experience," Ms Charlton said.
Ireland was highlighted as a potential destination country for women and children trafficked from eastern Europe, Africa, South America and Asia, in a US State Department report into trafficking, released earlier this year.
The ICI has invited tenders from researchers to explore the demand side of the trade in Ireland, as well as protection and service provision issues.
The full extent of the Irish sex industry will be set out in the report and the responses from agencies, gardaí and immigration officers will be outlined.
A new Bill is being drafted by the Department of Justice to create new specific offences of trafficking people here for the purposes of sexual exploitation, labour exploitation or removal of organs.
