Should a Red Light District be officially opened in Dublin to boost tourism?

[irish_bob]

A lot of prostitutes are trafficked, others are forced to prostitute themselves by self-interested third parties, others still find themselves in prostitution through force of circumstances (poverty, drug abuse, destitution, etc). Not a lot of genuine consent there. Plus, even where prostitution is totally legal and regulated those consent problems still feature. In Germany, for example, the majority of prostitutes are poor women from S America and Eastern Europe.

the majority of prostitutes are poor women , full stop , im not religous but i honestly believe prostitution is a great evil which corrupts all sides

[simeongrimes]

the majority of prostitutes are poor women , full stop , im not religous but i honestly believe prostitution is a great evil which corrupts all sides

Even if we accept that the question remains, does it do more harm when it is criminalised or when it is regulated.

[Boggle]

Even if we accept that the question remains, does it do more harm when it is criminalised or when it is regulated.

That is the issue which people appear unwilling to face up to. We cannot stop it, I wish we could, so we need to face up to that fact and decide whether legalising and regulating or criminalising is the best way to protect the girls.

[shoneen]

Was just reminded about this thread while ago. Any new opinions?

I was against the idea, but saw a very good documentary recently which showed just how glamourous and rewarding the life of a call girl can be. Anyone concerned about the ramifications of legalised prostitution should really see if they can find it. It's a different perspective and even if it doesn't change minds, it might just give food for thought. I think it was called Pretty Woman.

[forest]

More harm than Good, I say. Allows criminals to set up a legal "front" for traffiking.

There is very little evidence of trafficing in Ireland

A senior garda detective based in Limerick: "None of the women we have caught has been trafficked. A lot are coming over to make money and they are certainly not always under the control of a pimp, especially the Romanians and Brazilians. They make more in a week here than they would in a year in their home country. Sadly, it's a lifestyle choice for them and they can make very big money out of it."

College girl Niamh: why I became a €220 per hour escort - Love & Sex, Independent Woman - Independent.ie

Most people convicted of brothel keeping in Ireland are sex workers with no evidence of trafficking

Rural gardai are cracking down on sex industry - National News - Independent.ie

Prostitution: it?s time for honesty

"....the vast majority of those convicted of "brothel keep" under the Act are sex workers themselves and are only being prosecuted because rather than work on their own -- and be more vulnerable to violence or robbery -- they are working in twos or threes for safety. Under the present law this can be construed as running a brothel.

All but two out of 55 people convicted of brothel-keeping in the past three years were said by gardai or by their own admission in court to be working as prostitutes.

Several said they came from eastern European countries where it is legal to work in twos or threes and claimed they were unaware it was an offence in Ireland."