Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Sex sells - Ruhama says prostitution is violence against women which violates their human rights. Tuppus via Flickr

Prostitution on the rise in Ireland

The number of women here working in the sex industry has increased by 4 per cent, according to an organisation that supports the victims of prostitution.

PROSTITUTION IN IRELAND is on the rise, according to Ruhama’s annual report for 2010.

The Irish organisation, set up to support the victims of prostitution, says 204 women sought their help last year, an increase of 4 per cent on 2009.

Additionally, up to a quarter of those working in the sex industry are new to it, and there’s been a significant increase in the number of women prostituting themselves on the street.

Ruhama says the number of new victims of trafficking they met last year was comparable with 2009; the organisation made its first contact with a woman who was a victim of sex trafficking in 2000.

Street Prostitution

Elsewhere, there was a 9 per cent increase in the number of women accessing their street outreach service.

The street service operates from a van, which visits red-light districts at night, providing hot drinks, and a safe environment for sex workers.

Trafficking

Women supported by Ruhama in 2010 came from 31 different countries.

Sarah Benson, CEO, Ruhama said “This truly exemplifies the global nature of prostitution and trafficking.”

The report also states that victims of trafficking are now found, not just in Irish towns and cities, but also in smaller rural settings.

Sarah Benson says most women who work in prostitution are “vulnerable migrant women or marginalised Irish nationals, who experience economic difficulties especially debt. Some have addiction or childhood abuse issues”.

Criminalisation

Ruhama describes the reality of prostitution as ‘having to be available to be penetrated by strangers repeatedly on a daily basis.’

The organisation maintains that the sex trade is a multi million euro industry in Ireland, and is calling on the government to implement new legislation criminalising those who buy sex services.

Change

Ruhama says the nature of prostitution in Ireland has changed in the past ten years.

According to the NGO, women used to turn to prostitution to fix occasional financial difficulties and because they didn’t see themselves as employable, but now, 95 per cent of street prostitutes are drug users; increasingly they are homeless; and the numbers of very young women involved in prostitution is on the rise.

Read more about calls for the criminalisation of sex service users on TheJournal.ie>

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
58 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Manahan
    Favourite John Manahan
    Report
    Aug 3rd 2011, 11:18 AM

    Never heard of them.

    61
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Christopher Duffin
    Favourite Christopher Duffin
    Report
    Aug 3rd 2011, 11:16 AM

    While competition is good, there are far too many mobile companies in such a small country.

    42
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jayniemac
    Favourite Jayniemac
    Report
    Aug 3rd 2011, 11:22 AM

    Same as, I’ve never heard of them!

    30
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jamie Murphy
    Favourite Jamie Murphy
    Report
    Aug 3rd 2011, 11:17 AM

    So are the phones they sold unlocked? if not are they going to give unlock codes out?

    28
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michele Neylon
    Favourite Michele Neylon
    Report
    Aug 3rd 2011, 11:32 AM

    If they’re not unlocked now they’ll have to unlock them (I think they’re obliged to .. )

    24
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jamie Murphy
    Favourite Jamie Murphy
    Report
    Aug 3rd 2011, 11:37 AM

    I hope they will make it easy and just text out unlock codes if the phones are not unlocked. My dad is in love with his JCB toughphone. Its been through 9 rounds of the washing machine and still works perfectly!

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kathleen O Toole Tighe
    Favourite Kathleen O Toole Tighe
    Report
    Aug 3rd 2011, 12:10 PM

    I never even heard of them !

    21
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute jason bourne
    Favourite jason bourne
    Report
    Aug 3rd 2011, 12:12 PM

    Seems the problem was they didn’t advertise properly or at all considering how few people have even heard of the company

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dec Byrne
    Favourite Dec Byrne
    Report
    Aug 3rd 2011, 3:26 PM

    @Alan Madden, the reason they were only prepaid at the moment was that you apparently have to have a certain amount of pre paid customers signed up before you can branch out into the ”bill pay” market. I liked thier ad’s but in fairness to them it must be hard to go up against the big boys advertising budgets. Best of luck to them at least they tried, and their money was going back into the communities and charities in Ireland.

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
    Favourite Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
    Report
    Aug 3rd 2011, 10:42 PM

    They haven’t filed accounts with CRO yet…since 2007 so I’m sure there’s plenty they haven’t contributed to their communities.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Barry
    Favourite Barry
    Report
    Aug 3rd 2011, 11:57 AM

    Not surprised, I’ve never ever seen them even advertised outside of Dublin.
    Only way I found out about them was some link on boards which showed they had adverts on some buses in Dublin

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Róisín Áine Nic Dhonnacha
    Favourite Róisín Áine Nic Dhonnacha
    Report
    Aug 3rd 2011, 12:17 PM

    I hadn’t heard of them either until yesterday evening when someone asked me about a linkedin profile of someone connected to the company.

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stepping Stones
    Favourite Stepping Stones
    Report
    Aug 3rd 2011, 2:13 PM

    I never herd of them either. Their marketing strategy mustn’t have been great.

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Daithí Ó'Céileachair
    Favourite Daithí Ó'Céileachair
    Report
    Aug 3rd 2011, 11:25 AM

    Maybe the phones will still work on the Vodafone network even if they are locked.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pat Gallagher
    Favourite Pat Gallagher
    Report
    Aug 3rd 2011, 12:58 PM

    how were they the only Irish owned network? is Meteor not Irish? I thought view were?

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paddy O'Reilly
    Favourite Paddy O'Reilly
    Report
    Aug 3rd 2011, 1:26 PM

    Meteor is owned by Eircom, who last I heard was owned by Singapore Technologies Telemedia, but Eircom keeps getting asset stripped and bought & sold,

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Conor Foley
    Favourite Conor Foley
    Report
    Aug 3rd 2011, 1:26 PM

    Meteor is part of eircom which is in turn (currently) majority owned by STT (Singapore Technologies Telemedia) so its not irish owned

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Róisín Áine Nic Dhonnacha
    Favourite Róisín Áine Nic Dhonnacha
    Report
    Aug 3rd 2011, 3:44 PM

    There was an ad?

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Alan Madden
    Favourite Alan Madden
    Report
    Aug 3rd 2011, 1:26 PM

    @pat – they ‘were’ the only irish owned “pre paid” mobile operator. Bit silly really cos it does appear at first glance that they are the only Irish owned operator here.

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Eoin Sheehy
    Favourite Eoin Sheehy
    Report
    Aug 4th 2011, 11:37 AM

    I didn’t even hear about them, and once I heard they were closing down I got a look at their website and they’re basically the cheapest, I’m so annoyed!

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds