A new Fás-funded training scheme has been set up to help women involved in prostitution and suspected victims of sex trafficking integrate back into society, it was revealed today.
The pilot project, the first of its kind, is designed to act as a bridging mechanism providing the women with educational modules and career guidance and prepare them for possible further training.
The women are provided with a range of courses, including English, literacy, computers, sewing and creative writing, as well as assertiveness work and yoga.
Some 17 people are currently taking part in the employment agency course, which runs until October. Just one woman is from Ireland while the rest are from areas ranging from Africa to Eastern Europe.
Sarah Benson, the chief executive of support group Ruhama, said it is hoped the scheme will continue beyond the pilot phase.
"For Fás, because ordinarily you have to meet certain eligibility criteria... to take this step is a hugely positive outreach that they're doing in terms of trying to connect with those who are in that position to try and
bridge into mainstream Fetac education," she said.
"A serious consequence of engaging people in courses where they aren't actually ready yet is that they are set up to fail."
Ms Benson said Fas has provided just over €100,000 in funding for the scheme, which began in January.
Meanwhile Marion Walsh, the executive director of the anti-human trafficking unit at the Department of Justice, said that since the beginning of 2009, 10 people have been prosecuted for offences related to human trafficking linked to Ireland.
Most of the prosecutions have been on foot of evidence transferred from Ireland to other jurisdictions.
In Ireland one person was last year convicted of attempting to traffic a child for sexual exploitation and sentenced to six years. Ms Walsh said the Director of Public Prosecutions is appealing against the sentence, arguing it is too lenient.