Council: Criminalise buying of sex

Cork City Council has become one of the largest local authorities to back a national campaign to make the buying of sex illegal.

There was unanimous cross-party support last night for Labour Cllr Catherine Clancy’s motion calling on Justice Minister Alan Shatter to introduce legislation to criminalise the purchase of sex as part of a wider strategy to tackle the trafficking of women, men and children into Ireland for exploitation and prostitution.

The motion was tabled on behalf of the Sexual Violence Centre Cork, Cois Tine, and Nasc, the Irish Immigrant Support Centre, groups which are part of the national Turn Off the Red Light campaign, which is calling for the buying of sex to be illegal.