Immigrant Council Bill 2014

[The Equalizer]

Click on the below link for some interesting reading (ICI's "Four Point Plan" is particularly interesting)

http://immigrantcouncil.ie/media/pre...-new-dail-term

From the article
Comment

There are a number of measures that the Immigrant Council would like to see included in the long awaited legislation including a four point action plan which it has published today:

• The creation of a summary offence for those who buy sex, while at the same time decriminalising those who sell sex
It has been outlined on numerous occasions that the above proposed Legislative Model (or the "Swedish Model") imposes severe negative implication on those whom it supposedly serves to protect.

• A new offence of recklessly permitting a premises to be used for the purposes of prostitution
In order to effectively ensure a premises is not being "used for prostitution" (two Independent Sex Workers working from the same address?), landlords/managers of such premises would effectively have to "spy" on tenants they suspect are using a premises leased (from said landlord/manager) for "prostitution". (I could be wrong, but is it not currently an offence to let/permit a premises to be used for the purpose of prostitution).

• Witnesses in cases dealing with sexual exploitation through prostitution or trafficking to give evidence anonymously
This is open to abuse from a number of perspectives; if a "witness" gives evidence in such a case, how can one be 100% certain that the evidence being furnished is truthful (or even from that particular person). (A "witness" could be an [100% Independent] Sex Worker whom has been coerced by a corrupt official [or member of a "prostitution support group"] whom pressurises said Sex Worker to testify or "paying the price" at a later date. Indeed, a "witness" could also be a nosey neighbour of a certain mindset who wants to ensure that nobody "gets up to anything they shouldn't get up to" [and would love nothing better than to see somebody get into trouble for such things]).

• The creation of an offence of child grooming with maximum jail sentence of 14-years
If anyone commits any such acts against a child, I have no problem with locking such lowlife up and throwing away the key. The timing of the introduction of the Child Grooming Bill however, gives me the impression that persons with a vested interest in introducing "Swedish-style Legislation" will use this as a means to protray the Sex Industry in its entirity as depraved, twisted etc, and can only be tackled by one approach (introduction of Swedish-style Legislation?)

The measures we are seeking are in line with those unanimously backed the Oireachtas Justice Committee last year.
Having witnessed the manner in which any persons who spoke against Swedish-style Legislation were treated by certain members of the JOC, I would have to question the suitability of such persons for membership of such a committee.

The Immigrant Council of Ireland will be in communication with all TD’s and Senators on the resumption of the Dáil and looks forward to contributing to the debate on the future laws.
All 166 TD's; according to the Immigrant Council of Ireland, 1 in 10 in Ireland have paid for sex. I doubt that TD's are exempt from this figure. I am not trying to stir any "you know what" but if that figure holds true, 16 members of Dail Eireann have paid for sex (or still do). Hmmmmm