Justice Committee to start hearings on submissions on prostitution legislation

Last summer, the Minister for Justice and Equality referred a discussion document on the future direction of Prostitution Legislation to the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality. In this regard, the Committee invited written submissions from interested groups or individuals in relation to this Review. The Committee received more than 850 submissions.

Among those attending tomorrow’s meeting are: Dr Gillian Wylie, TCD and Dr Eilís Ward, NUI Galway; and representatives from: Act to Prevent Trafficking (APT); Barnardos; Immigrant Council of Ireland (ICI); Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO); Irish Medical Organisation (IMO); Irish Immigrant Support Centre (NASC); National Women's Council of Ireland (NWCI); One in Four; and Ruhama.

Committee Chairman David Stanton, TD, said: “Last summer, our Committee sought submissions from interested groups and individuals in relation to the review we will be carrying out on prostitution legislation. Tomorrow, we will hear from a number of those who provided submissions to the Committee. As legislators with the responsibility for reviewing Ireland’s prostitution laws, it is important that we engage with people and organisations working with those involved in prostitution to get their views on current legislation and discuss what legislative changes they would like to see. Members of the Committee have already met with fellow parliamentarians in Sweden to discuss their experiences of the drafting and implementation of its ground-breaking legislation on prostitution which criminalised the purchase of sexual services rather than the sale of sexual services. Tomorrow’s meeting is the next step in our review.”

This meeting will start in Committee Room 2, Leinster House at 2pm on Wednesday 12th December.

Committee proceedings can be followed live at:
http://www.oireachtas.ie/ViewDoc.asp?fn=/documents/livewebcast/Web-Live.htm&CatID=83&m=o

For further information please contact:

Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2

P: +3531 618 3903
M: 086-0496518
F: +3531 618 4551

Committee Membership

Deputies:

Niall Collins, Michael Creed, Alan Farrell, Anne Ferris [Vice-Chairman], Seán Kenny, Finian McGrath, Jonathan O’Brien, John Paul Phelan and David Stanton (Chairman).

Senators:

Ivana Bacik, Paul Bradford, Martin Conway, Rónán Mullen, Denis O’Donovan and Katherine Zappone.