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Gnáthamharc

Sexual Offences.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 March 2004

Tuesday, 23 March 2004

Ceisteanna (471)

Ciarán Cuffe

Ceist:

469 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will outline the legislation regarding prostitution; the number of persons who have been arrested or convicted in the Dublin area in the past three years for providing or paying for such services; and the breakdown by geographical area. [8389/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

As the Deputy may be aware, prostitution is not in itself a crime. Section 7 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993 creates a summary offence of soliciting or importuning for the purposes of prostitution. Subsequent sections of the Act 8, 9, 10, and 11 deal with other offences in relation to prostitution.

I have made inquiries with the Garda authorities regarding the number of offences where proceedings commenced and the number of persons convicted in the Dublin area for years 2002 and 2003 for breaches of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993. The information provided by the Garda authorities is outlined in the following table.

It should be noted that these statistics relate to two Garda divisions in the Dublin metropolitan region only as no offences were recorded in the other Dublin divisions. Statistics for year 2001 were not recorded on the PULSE system and it is therefore not possible to provide a breakdown on a divisional basis for 2001.

Breaches of Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, 1993

2002

2003*

North Central

South Central

North Central

South Central

Details of Offences where proceedings were commenced

Proceedings Commenced

Persons Convicted

Proceedings Commenced

Persons Convicted

Proceedings Commenced

Persons Convicted

Proceedings Commenced

Persons Convicted

Soliciting/importuning for Commission of Sexual Offence (Section 6)

0

0

0

0

2

0

0

0

Soliciting/Importuning for Prostitution (Section 7)

117

29

102

47

115

16

52

11

Loitering for Prostitution (Section 8)

32

9

41

9

36

2

17

3

*Statistics for 2003 are provisional and are subject to change.
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