Richardnumbertwo you raise some very good points and I confess I too am ignorant of the laws on this issue but some points you raise I can answer without taking any responsibility for any inaccuracies that might mislead.

1. You ask "where does a client stand if they are busted by the Gardai?" There legal position is in no way altered by the fact they were either in a brothel or soliciting on the street. The charge that could be brought against them is one of soliciting for the purposes of prostitution.
2 From an escorts legal stand I don't know if they are better off in an apartment than a hotel room or working singularly or in a pair.

So the risk for you, the punter, in the event of a raid on an apartment, hotel room or picking up a girl on the street is the same. It has also to be proven that that was what you were doing.

It is easily proven if a girl is running a brothel by undercover Gardai visiting their premises and being offered sex for money.................harder to prove that a punter was paying. Even in the event that they know that the girl was a working girl you could still legally have sex with her for no money.

Simple rule if questioned is not to admit to anything that could either incriminate you or the escort.

Just say that whatever happened between you and this girl was an act between consenting adults and that no money changed hands.

You won't be given a lie detector test or anything like that.

Cheers
Magicman