Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 15 Nov 2000

Vol. 526 No. 1

Written Answers. - Child Trafficking.

Gay Mitchell

Ceist:

100 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the steps he has taken to protect children from being lured into prostitution in a manner similar to that being experience by women as outlined in a newspaper article (details supplied). [24487/00]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

Although the article referred to by the Deputy does not suggest that children have been trafficked to Ireland for the purposes of sexual exploitation, the phenomenon of child trafficking is certainly one of considerable concern internationally.

Irish criminal law provides for a range of offences which help to protect children from all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse. A number of legislative initiatives specifically aimed at the protection of children from sexual exploitation have been taken in recent years. One of the most important was the Sexual Offences (Jurisdiction) Act, 1996, which ensured that persons resident in Ireland could be prosecuted for sexual offences committed against children while abroad.

In addition, the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act, 1998, makes it an offence to traffic in children for the purpose of their sexual exploitation or to abduct children for that purpose with penalties of up to life imprisonment. It is also an offence to provide accommodation for such a child while in the State. This Act also outlawed the possession, production, distribution, importation, exportation or sale of all forms of child pornography with penalties of up to 14 years imprisonment. This legislation gave effect to one of the most important aspects of the EU Joint Action on Trafficking in Human Beings and Sexual Exploitation of Children and the seriousness of the offences are reflected in the penalties applicable.

The Deputy will also be aware that the Illegal Immigrants (Trafficking) Act, 2000, came into effect on 5 September 2000. This purpose of this Act is to target the profiteer or professional traffickers in human beings by creating an offence of trafficking in illegal immigrants and asylum seekers and providing a framework by which those engaging in such trafficking can be dealt with under the law.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that they are satisfied that the legislation available is adequate to deal with the crime of trafficking in children.

I am also happy to inform the House that no incidents of this nature have been recorded by the Garda authorities to date. There is of course no room for complacency on an issue of this gravity, and members of An Garda Síochána liaise with Interpol and Europol to keep up to date with current trends and themodus operandi of the traffickers. In this regard the Garda National Immigration Bureau, which was established in May 2000, has as one of its primary objectives the co-ordination and direction of strategies to combat trafficking in illegal immigrants and the Government has also approved the strengthening of Garda international liaison arrangements by the placing of Garda liaison officers in London and Paris for the purpose of interacting with local law enforcement authorities on immigration and trafficking matters.

The Deputy will also be interested to note that on 7 September 2000 the Taoiseach signed the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. The protocol imposes substantive obligations on States which are party to it to adopt all measures necessary to prevent child prostitution, child pornography, the abduction, sale and traffic of children and all other forms of exploitation prejudicial to a child.

Furthermore, my Department has been participating in the work of the UNad hoc committee on the elaboration of a convention against transnational organised crime which has been considering the elaboration of a protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children, supplementing the main convention. This protocol was agreed at the committee's most recent session in October 2000 and a signing conference for the main convention and its protocols is to be held in Palermo from 12 to 15 December 2000.

Child sexual abuse is one of the issues under review in an examination of all outstanding issues relevant to the criminal law governing sexual offences which is already under way in my Department. If that examination identifies any further changes that need to be made in the law, I will seek Government approval for such changes.