A crackdown on brothels in Northern Ireland could push them over the Border into the Republic, a TD claimed tonight.
Fine Gael TD Denis Naughten called for tougher legislation and more rigorous Garda enforcement of the sex industry, which he claimed was worth €180 million a year.
“In the Netherlands, the red-light districts are being reduced by one-third because their liberal policies have been seen to fail,” he told the Dáil.
“In the UK, new legislation is going to lead to a clampdown there. Unless we are prepared to tighten our laws here, it could lead to a growth in this industry in this country.”
The TD said there was a close connection between brothel-keeping and criminal activities, and claimed the Continuity IRA was involved in the prostitution industry.
However, Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern told the Dáil the Republic had very strong legislation to police the sex industry.
“The Garda is running several undercover operations to combat prostitution, brothel-keeping and human trafficking - and criminal laws in the area are very strong,” he said.
The Minister also said there was also close cross-Border co-operation between the Garda and the PSNI on the issue.
PA