Cabinet approval secured to publish review of legislation that made it illegal to purchase sex but legal to sell sex.
Review highlights challenges facing An Garda Síochána and DPP in enforcing this legislation.
Cabinet approval has been secured to publish a review of the legislation that deals with the purchase of sexual services.
The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 decriminalised the sale of sex, criminalised the purchase of sex, and increased the penalty provided for brothel keeping. The legislation was designed to shift the legal burden towards those who buy sex rather than the sellers, aiming to protect those most at risk within the sex industry.
The Review of the Operation of Section 7A of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993, identifies areas for improvement which would allow the legislation to work better and achieve its aim of deterring the demand for commercial sex, which is linked to both sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
Here in Ireland, it is legal to sell sex, but illegal to purchase sex. This means that individuals involved in the sale of sex are no longer criminalised. Prostitution is inherently exploitative of vulnerable persons, mainly women and girls, and many people are forced into prostitution, through trafficking, drug addiction, homelessness and poverty.
This Review has been much anticipated by stakeholders in the domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) sector and others, and is published today.
Among its findings, this review highlights challenges to the effective enforcement of the legislation in its current form, with An Garda Síochána and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions noting significant barriers. These include limited power of arrest for detention and questioning, the requirement of an admission of guilt and challenges in prosecution, due to the necessary ‘proofs’ required.
It also finds that the ability to successfully support and protect is hindered by a lack of culturally appropriate support services, including healthcare, social welfare, gender specific housing for women, and clear exit routes.
This review also notes that the prevalence of human trafficking among those involved in the sale of sex in Ireland is not fully known and the lack of reliable data is cited by both advocates for and opponents of section 7A.
The key focus on this issue is to seek to reduce demand, protect those involved in the sex trade, and support those who wish to exit.
The Review highlights that despite the criminalisation of the purchase of sexual services, demand has not decreased. The Review also points to recommendations to address this through awareness-raising; these are mirrored in the Programme for Government and the Zero Tolerance Strategy.
Certain recommendations will be considered in respect of law enforcement, and officials are consulting with An Garda Síochána, in this regard.
According to An Garda Síochána, the DPP had directed 161 prosecutions for the offence of ‘Payment etc. for Sexual Activity with a Prostitute’, from January 2017 up to August 2024. Over that period, our police service recorded 15 convictions under this legislation.
Statement On conclusion Of DNA Testing On Human Remains Recovered By ICLVR.
The Minister for Justice, Mr Jim O’Callaghan TD, has expressed his disappointment today following confirmation that the human remains recovered recently by the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains in Co. Monaghan are not those of Mr Joe Lynskey.
Minister O’Callaghan said: “When the Commission announced that unidentified remains had been found following an exhumation late last year, we all hoped that they would be identified as those of Joe Lynskey. I held hope that the Lynskey family would finally be able to lay him to rest. I am saddened that this is not the case. Today, my thoughts again are with the Lynskey family who have had to endure this particular cruelty for over 50 years. I would also acknowledge that this experience has been distressing for the family whose grave was opened in order to carry out the exhumation and I am thankful for their understanding in such difficult circumstances. I want also to commend the dedicated and ceaseless humanitarian work of the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains. I assure them and the families of the Disappeared of my and the Government’s support for their ongoing work. The Commission will continue its vital work and I appeal again, today, to anyone with any information that could help the families of Columba McVeigh, Joe Lynskey, Robert Nairac and Seamus Maguire to share this information with the Commission now.
The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains(ICLVR) has also issued the following statement: “In an effort to locate the remains of Joe Lynskey, one of the Disappeared who went missing in the summer of 1972, human remains were exhumed from a grave in Annyalla Cemetery, Co Monaghan on 26 November 2024. The results of the DNA examination of the remains have now eliminated them as being those of the family to whom the grave belongs and now also eliminated them as being those of Joe Lynskey or any of the Disappeared. All the interested parties including the Lynskey family have been informed. We know that this news is deeply disappointing for the Lynskey family and the thoughts of everyone in the Commission are with them at this most difficult time. We are also conscious that this was a distressing experience for the family whose grave was opened to facilitate the exhumation. We are grateful for their co-operation and support at all stages of the process. The Commission will continue to do everything in its power to locate and recover the remains of all of the outstanding Disappeared cases. We would again appeal to anyone with information relating to Joe Lynskey, Columba McVeigh, Robert Nairac or Seamus Maguire to bring it to the ICLVR where it will be treated in the strictest confidence”.
The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains (ICLVR), led by Commissioners Mr. Tim Dalton and Mrs Rosalie Flanagan, was established by an Agreement between the Government of Ireland and the Government of the United Kingdom and signed on 27th April 1999 by legislation enacted in both jurisdictions. The ICLVR is responsible for facilitating the location of the remains of victims of paramilitary violence who were murdered and secretly buried arising from the conflict in Northern Ireland. Further information is available at www.iclvr.ie The ICLVR needs further information to be able to progress its investigations into the remaining disappeared victims – Columba McVeigh, Joe Lynskey, Robert Nairac and Seamus Maguire.
Anyone with information on the four outstanding Disappeared cases —Joe Lynskey, Columba McVeigh, Robert Nairac and Seamus Maguire; should contact the ICLVR Tel: +353 1 602 8655 or Mr Dennis Godfrey (ICLVR), Tel: +44 7771 642348.
A jury in Georgia, South Carolina, USA, has ordered the Monsanto parent company Bayer to pay nearly $2.1 billion in damages to a man who maintains the company’s Roundup weed killer caused his cancer, according to his attorneys.
This verdict, delivered on Friday last, marks the latest in a long-running series of court battles that Monsanto has faced over its Roundup herbicide. The agrochemical giant says it will appeal the verdict, in an efforts to overturn the court’s decision.
In a statement, law firms Arnold & Itkin LLP and Kline & Specter PC said that the penalties awarded to the plaintiff will include $65 million in compensatory damages and $2 billion in punitive damages. This marks one of the largest legal settlements reached in a Roundup weed killer related case to date.
The plaintiff named as Mr John Barnes filed his lawsuit against Monsanto in 2021, seeking damages which related to his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The lead trial lawyer, Arnold & Itkin attorney Kyle Findley, stated that the verdict will help to place his client in a better disposition in order to obtain necessary treatment needed going forward.
The verdict on the case is seen as an important moment of truth, following the refusal by Monsanto to accept responsibility for poisoning people with their product, same regarded as highly toxic.
Glyphosate is a herbicide used to kill certain plants and grasses and is the declared active ingredient in most versions of Roundup. The biggest users of glyphosate are growers of crops that have been genetically engineered to be resistant to the herbicide. This allows the plant to survive while killing nearby weeds. The crops with the highest use of glyphosate are modified corn, cotton, and soybeans.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. maintain that glyphosate is not likely to cause cancer in humans. But there is concern about the other ingredients in Roundup, as they may be more toxic than glyphosate. These other chemicals are not the active ingredients in Roundup, so they are rarely the focus of regulatory health risk assessments. One study found that Roundup was among the most toxic of the herbicides and insecticides tested.
201 trainees enter Templemore Garda College, Templemore, Co. Tipperary, in highest intake in over six years.
6,700 applications received in latest recruitment campaign.
149 new Gardaí were attested from Templemore Garda College last Friday.
201 trainees entered the Garda College in Templemore today Monday March 10th 2025, the highest number since 2019. This intake follows the attestation of 149 new probationer Gardaí at a ceremony in Templemore on Friday last.
We understand that this high intake reflects the growing momentum in Garda recruitment.
The latest Garda recruitment campaign was launched in February last and received over 6,700 applications. This marks a continued increase on the 5,000 applications received in 2023 and the almost 6,400 last year.
Some 32% of applicants are female, while 42% of applicants are aged 30 years and over, and 23% of those detailed are from an ethnic background, sharing characteristics such as culture, language, religion, and traditions, other than being white Irish. This is important since An Garda Síochána is a community-focused policing service, and therefore should reflect diverse and thriving communities.
The Government is fully committed to strengthening An Garda Síochána by 5,000 members over the next five years.
The windows and glass doors of two popular business premised situated on Liberty Square, in Thurles town centre, were severely damaged sometime over the past 24 hours.
“Treasure Box”, No. 36 Liberty Square, Thurles.
One of the premises and the building most severely damaged was a recently opened convenience store known as “Treasure box”, latter situated at No. 36 Liberty Square, (formerly Stakelum’s Ladies Boutique), close to Barry’s Bridge and opposite the medieval Butler Castle.
“Roma” Fish & Chips Take Away at No. 59 Liberty Square, Thurles.
The other businesses damaged were a Take Away Fish & Chips premises known as “Roma”, situated at No. 59, central on Liberty Square.
We understand that local investigating Gardaí are following a definite line of enquiry and have identified the individual involved in this senseless behaviour.
The reason for the malicious damage caused, is not fully understood, but locals strongly condemn it as a possible racist attack, by one badly informed individual.
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