459. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of rental properties identified by An Garda Síochána in each of the past five years as having been used as brothels; the breakdown by county; and the number of prosecutions and convictions secured in these cases. [49818/25]

463. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of victims identified in brothels in Ireland since 2020 who were subsequently referred to State protection and support services; whether he accepts that many victims remain in a precarious or undocumented position; and the reforms he intends to introduce to guarantee their safety and rehabilitation. [49822/25]

465. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of investigations opened in the past five years into the use of false identity or employer documentation for the purpose of securing leases later used for brothel-keeping; and the number of prosecutions and convictions that have arisen from such investigations. [49824/25]

466. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department collects and publishes regular data on the prevalence of illegal brothels and related prosecutions; and if not, the reason such monitoring has not been established given the evident scale of the problem. [49825/25]

Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: I propose to take Questions Nos. 459, 463, 465 and 466 together.

It is generally recognised that prostitution is inherently exploitative of vulnerable persons, mainly women and girls, and that many people are forced into prostitution through trafficking, drug addiction, homelessness and poverty.

Prostitution is recognised in the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence as a form of gender-based violence, in which there are a number of actions - including to reduce demand for prostitution, to raise awareness of the law around it, and to improve exit pathways.

The Department of Health has put a patient management system in place to facilitate data collection for the Women’s Health Service which aims to ensure people in prostitution have access to safety, healthcare, support and exit routes. In addition, this allows for an analysis of data for future service planning, development and improvement.

My Department has funded NGO-led campaigns to highlight the prevalence of sexual exploitation and human trafficking for sexual exploitation throughout Ireland. And the Programme for Government contains an action to: Initiate a public education campaign highlighting the fact that it is a criminal offence in Ireland to pay for sex. Work is underway to scope research and data to inform an awareness campaign.

Separately, the Review of the Operation of Section 7A of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993, which was published earlier this year, identifies areas for improvement which would allow the legislation to work better and achieve its aim of deterring the demand for commercial sex, which is linked to both sexual exploitation and human trafficking. This Review has been much anticipated by stakeholders in the domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) sector and others, and my Department is now working towards implementation.

In addition to Governmental efforts, Ruhama plays a crucial role in providing comprehensive support services and supports people to exit prostitution. My Department provides annual funding to Ruhama for this work.

In November 2023, a specialised accommodation centre - Rosa’s Place - opened for female victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation. This is the first service of its kind in Ireland dedicated to providing a safe haven for women who have been trafficked for this purpose.

I have contacted An Garda Síochána and the Central Statistics Office and been informed that much of the data requested by the Deputy is not available.

For example, while investigations into illegal or alleged illegal activity are an operational matter for An Garda Síochána, I am informed by the Garda authorities that there is no specific incident type available in their PULSE system to capture one description referenced - ie 'the use of false identity or employer documentation for the purpose of securing leases later used for brother-keeping'. The Courts Service advised that there does not appear to be a specific offence in statute for use of false identity or employer documentation for the purpose of securing leases later used for brothel-keeping. This means there is no specific offence code which can be used to run a report which would provide the data sought.

I am also informed by the Garda authorities that whether or not a property was a rental property is not recorded in any structured field in the PULSE system. The Garda authorities can, however, provide a count of prosecutions for the offence of Brothel Keeping, and that is included here. A breakdown is not available below national level due to low volumes.

< = fewer than 10 charges

* to 15th Sep 2025.