Justice Committee to resume 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 Kathryn McGarry, NUI Maynooth; Monica O’Connor; and representatives from Women’s Aid; Sex Workers Alliance Ireland; and Irish Feminist Network.

Committee Chairman David Stanton, TD, said: “Last summer, our Committee sought submissions from interested groups and individuals in relation to the review we are carrying out on prostitution legislation. Tomorrow, we will continue our hearings when a number of those who provided submissions will appear before 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. We will be interested in getting the perspectives of Dr Kathryn McGarry, NUI Maynooth; Monica O’Connor; and representatives from Women’s Aid; Sex Workers Alliance Ireland; and Irish Feminist Network. Members of the Committee have already met with fellow parliamentarians in Sweden to discuss their experiences of the drafting and implementation of its legislation on prostitution which criminalised the purchase of sexual services rather than the sale of sexual services. Tomorrow’s meeting, the second in our series of hearings, is the next step in our review.”

This meeting will start in Committee Room 2, Leinster House at 2pm on Wednesday 16th January.

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.