Vol. 463 No. 3
277 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Justice the number of the 12 men prosecuted between 7 July 1994 and 31 December 1994 under the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, 1993, who were prostitutes; and the number who were clients of prostitutes. [5977/96]
I am informed by the Garda authorities that 12 men were prosecuted under section 7 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, 1993, between 7 July 1993 and 31 December 1994. This section makes it an offence for a person who, in a street or public place, solicits or importunes another person or other persons for the purposes of prostitution. The section does not, as can be seen, make any distinction between a person who solicits and a person who importunes. For this reason, the available statistics do not provide the information sought by the Deputy.
