Factfile

There are at least 200 women currently working in prostitution in Dublin who are known drug users, according to a spokesman for the East Coast Area Health Board. The Women's Health Project was set up for women working in prostitution by the then Eastern Health Board in 1991 (now the ECAHB) as part of its HIV/ AIDS prevention strategy. The project has treated at least 1,000 women. It operates in the Baggot Street Clinic and offers two weekly drop-in health clinics. Screening for a number of conditions, including Hepatitis B and C, is available. There are welfare rights, counselling and addiction services available.

The Ruhama Women's Project began in 1987 and works exclusively with women in prostitution in Dublin. Ruhama volunteers operate in collaboration with the Women's Health Project, offering social work, counselling, court accompanying, hospital and prison visits and flat-hunting. Ruhama also has an outreach service, and an education and enterprise service.

The Coolmine Therapeutic Community offers a residential programme for up to 26 women at Ashleigh House near Blanchardstown. The programme is designed to help women with drug problems to regain self-esteem and recover from their addiction. There is a waiting list of at least 13 women at the moment and the long-term success rate is 36 per cent.

The average age of a resident is 20: most are recovering heroin addicts and, according to a spokesman from Coolmine House, it is "not uncommon" for some of the women to have worked in prostitution.

The programme has been shortened to two years and consists of eight months in Ashleigh House receiving counselling and group therapy. After this, inmates are encouraged to find full-time employment. Once they have done so, they live-in for another few months until they have the money to find their own accommodation. They then attend an after-care programme once a week to help them remain drug- and alcohol-free.

Any garda who suspects a person of loitering for the purposes of soliciting in a public place can ask the person to leave. Non-compliance can lead to an arrest and a fine (£250 for a first conviction; £500 for a second; a fine and imprisonment can result from a third conviction). This law also applies to the punter.

According to the Garda Commissioner's Crime Report of 1999, there were proceedings taken in 112 cases for suspected loitering with intention of prostitution (the figures do not give a breakdown of the sexes) and 357 proceedings for suspected soliciting or importuning for prostitution. Of the former, 70 resulted in convictions. Of the latter, 172 resulted in convictions.