Gardai are considering a plan to publicise the names of prostitutes' clients in an effort to tackle a big increase in the number of young female drug addicts engaged in prostitution in Dublin city centre. Gardai are meeting with the Eastern Health Board to set up programmes which could help the young women involved. There are also public health issues involved as drug treatment workers estimate that around 90 per cent of addicts have hepatitis C and a smaller percentage are HIV positive.
The number of prostitutes operating in the Benburb Street area of the north city increased from a dozen to over 200 in recent months and although gardai charged 50 people in June, the problem is continuing.
Supt Jim Joyce, who heads the Bridewell District's Anti-Vice Unit, says a plan to publicise clients' identities is being considered.
"This has been discussed though you could be talking about a man with a wife and family who was caught the first time he came into an area. It would be seen as a very ruthless approach. But it is something we will consider," he said.
Gardai are concerned as most young women are getting involved now because of drug addiction and not simply to earn extra money and they are getting younger, with the age profile now down to the early 20s or late teens.
They are also less careful than traditional prostitutes, carrying out their services in laneways and car-parks and propositioning local residents and business customers in the street during the day. Although there has been a huge increase in prostitutes and their clients coming before the courts recently, very few have been named up to now.