Ireland criticised again for its failure to combat sex trafficking 

The US State Department has chastised Ireland for its efforts in combatting sex trafficking, citing falling prosecutions and victim identification numbers for the fourth year in a row.

The Trafficking in Persons Report for 2021 said Ireland will remain on its "watchlist" for a second year because it has "not fully met the minimum standards for the elimination" of the scourge. It joins only Romania out of the 27 EU member states that the State Department considers in the second tier for tackling the problem.