DRUG addiction lures some of them to the Phoenix Park in search of the £20 or so for their next fix. Any distaste for the activity they engage in is anaesthetised by the crippling demands of their drug habit.

Others who have suffered sexual abuse during their childhood may seem more at ease with the squalid trade. These youths inhabit a perilous world. Frequently they are beaten up and robbed in the area in which they congregate, close to the Wellington Monument. Some sleep rough. The dangers posed daily by their drug and alcohol habits are all too obvious.

The men who pay for their services come from all walks of life - some of them are very prosperous. They are taking untold risks. The chance encounter with muggers is the least of them. And Garda intervention does not deter them from their visits.

The health risks posed by the lifestyles of some younger male prostitutes also fail to encourage them to look elsewhere for the sexual services they seek.

Last month a Garda detective inspector was knifed in the hand when he was attacked by three youths as he walked down the 40 steps which lead from Wellington Road in the park to Conyngham Road. His finger was almost severed by a gang who may have mistaken him for a punter. This assault was reported, but countless others are not.

"It is very dangerous, but much of it goes unreported because so many people don't want it known that they were there," said a Garda source. We arrested a guy who had robbed some tourists in the Phoenix Park and he admitted to a whole catalogue of offences such as muggings and car break ins which we hadn't known about. None of them had been reported."

Estimating the extent of male prostitution in Dublin is impossible. Support and counselling services for those involved are limited, and many young people, including the homeless, never come to the attention of State institutions.

Last summer, however, a study of male prostitution was conducted by Eastern Health Board outreach workers and the findings, will be made public in May. In total, 27 men who are currently - or were previously - involved in prostitution were interviewed about their experiences and how they first came to sell sex.

Although some of those working in the rent boy scene are gay, outreach workers say many young men are confused about their sexuality. Others vehemently claim to be heterosexual, when this may not be the case, according to one outreach worker.

Male prostitutes operating in Dublin can range in age from mid to late teens to early 40s. Clients frequently meet them in gay clubs and other late night haunts, while some make appointments by telephoning the prostitutes at specific pubs in the city.

The money which changes bands can be meagre in the case of young men who are homeless or who have drug addictions to feed. But the market for younger rent boys is the greatest and offers higher financial rewards, according to the outreach worker.

Young people, especially the homeless, are terribly vulnerable to prostitution, as well as drug and alcohol abuse. Getting them off the street speedily is crucial in halting the slide into the trade, according to Focus Point Ireland spokesman, Mr Simon Brook.

The Eastern Health Board has only eight emergency beds available to homeless children at any one time, he said. "Our outreach workers wouldn't even begin to estimate how many young homeless people are involved in prostitution. A lot of them feel ashamed and guilty about it and they are certainly not going to talk to us," he added.

Father Peter McVerry, who runs hostels for homeless boys, said it was unfair to the homeless to link them solely with male prostitution and said prostitution was "peripheral" to the death of a 17 year old who was found dead in a client's bed. However, he accepted that some of those living on the streets could slide into prostitution.

"For some of them it is an enormous step to become involved in this, and once they have taken it they realise they are way out of their depth and finish. For others, depending on their past experiences, it may be a natural progression," said Father McVerry.

"Robbery is more of a risk for young people who are short of money and unfortunately this can seem an easy and safe way of making money.

The psychological effects of involvement with male prostitution are lasting and render many young people incapable of forming any relationships with adults. Some become alienated from anyone older than themselves and counselling was impossible to secure for them, he said.

Policing of the problem was non existent and few prosecutions were ever secured. However, he stressed that young male prostitutes were "victims of their situation" and that their clients should be targeted.

"I don't know how you could change the law to make it easier to get a prosecution. As a crime, it is almost the perfect crime. The chances of being caught are absolutely minimal," he said.