Anti-trafficking Day is marked today.

I was delighted to join with members of the Immigrant Council of Ireland in releasing 48 red balloons outside Leinster House to mark Anti Trafficking Day.

The Global Slavery Index published yesterday, shows that up to 340 people are living in slavery in Ireland.
The index finds that the most prevalent form of trafficking in Ireland is for sexual exploitation, with the victims mostly being women and girls.
The ICI said this has highlighted the need for urgent political action including laws aimed at ending demand for sex-trafficking.
More than 800 women are for sale online every day and 43 trafficking victims were found in 2012, of which 23 were children. Pimps and traffickers take up to €250 million a year from our communities.
The Justice Commission recommendations published in June favour laws against sex buyers. Hopefully we will soon see legislation on this matter.