The Irish Government has been urged to change the law in order to make it a criminal offence to purchase sex, following a change of the law this week in Northern Ireland. The ban on the purchase of sex is an approach that was first adopted successfully in Sweden, and Irish campaigners have been campaigning to make similar changes to the law here.

The Immigrant Council of Ireland (ICI) welcomed the majority vote at the Northern Ireland Assembly, making the purchase of sex illegal. Denise Charlton, Chief Executive of the ICI said that the law change now creates urgency for the Irish Government to follow suit, as traffickers and pimps are likely to increase their business activities in the Republic.

Ms Charlton said “It’s time for TDs and the Government to end the delay in introducing similar laws here in order to prevent that happening. Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald, TD has already spoken of targeting demand in order to smash the business model for pimps and traffickers” she said.

Research published by Queen’s University in Belfast found that about 17,500 people pay for sex in Northern Ireland every year.

IMPACT, together with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and other organisations, has supported the Turn Off the Red Light campaign to end prostitution and sex trafficking in Ireland.