Top garda orders lap dancing crackdown

A TOP garda has ordered a crackdown on lap dancing clubs abusing the licensing laws.

Assistant Commissioner Kevin Carty is drawing together a team of detectives in a bid to clean up the trade. The new initiative will also investigate any links between clubs and prostitution as well as other exploitation of lap dancers by their employers.

The crackdown follows a court ruling earlier this month refusing to renew the music and dance licence of the exclusive Barclay Club in Dublin’s city centre.

The Dublin District Court ruled that an illegal sex act had taken place on its premises on South William Street.

The court heard gardaí had seen a female dancer being groped by a male customer The Barclay Club is appealing the ruling.

The case highlighted the lack of clarity surrounding the legislation governing lap-dancing clubs.

Asst Commissioner Carty’s team will examine issues raised by the court case.

“He is looking at irregularities that may be involved in these clubs under the licensing laws,” a garda spokesman said. “The Assistant Commissioner is bringing together detectives in the city where the clubs are located, but there is no new specific unit as such,” he said.

There has been concern in garda circles for some time regarding the operation and management of many of the lap dancing clubs in Dublin.

A number of such clubs have closed down recently and at least one is expected to close its doors soon.

The new team is also thought to include members of the Garda National Immigration Bureau, which is involved in investigating possible exploitation of immigrants working in the industry.

Last December, the Department of Enterprise suspended indefinitely the granting of work permits for lap dancers after it investigated a number of complaints that had been made to it.

Lap dancers had complained they were been robbed by their bosses and had their passports confiscated. There were also claims that some of them had been asked by their employers to have sex with customers.

Concerns have been expressed that lap dancing is a route into prostitution.

The Ruhama Women’s Project, which works with prostitutes, want lap-dancing clubs closed.

Numerous lap dancing clubs have also been targeted by Garda Special Branch, because of suspected links with paramilitary groups, such as the INLA and the Real IRA.