[ Human Trafficking, Country-by-Country ]

IRELAND (Tier 2) – Extracted in part from the U.S. State Dept 2023 TIP Report

The Government of Ireland does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so. The government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period, considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its anti-trafficking capacity, if any; therefore Ireland remained on Tier 2. These efforts included increasing funding for victim care and awareness raising efforts. The government also terminated the Atypical Working Scheme (AWS) for non-European Economic Area (EEA) sea fishers, which inadvertently increased worker vulnerabilities to trafficking. The government also assisted slightly more victims and rectified a gap in victim identification by identifying several child victims. However, the government did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas. The government did not convict any traffickers – a decrease compared with the prior year – and has never convicted a trafficker for labor trafficking under its anti-trafficking law. Chronic and systemic deficiencies in victim identification, referral, and assistance persisted; and services for victims remained inadequate. The government did not adopt an updated NAP, amend its NRM, or overhaul its accommodation framework for trafficking victims, which continued to leave victims with inadequate and unsuitable accommodations. Additionally, the government identified fewer trafficking victims among vulnerable groups, specifically sea fishers, and decreased investigations of trafficking crimes. The government did not report providing trafficking-specific training to any judges and has never awarded restitution or compensation to any victims.

Prioritized Recommendations

Increase efforts to proactively identify and protect all victims, especially Irish citizens, victims of labor trafficking and forced criminality, and vulnerable populations like children, sea fishers, and asylum-seekers.

Improve victim identification and referral by issuing a revised NRM in coordination with NGOs; providing victim identification training for all front-line officials, including for labor inspectors; and offering formal identification, a recovery and reflection period, and services to all victims.

Allow formal victim identification by entities other than the police, including civil society, labor inspectors, social workers, and health care professionals.

Systematically assign a family liaison officer to all trafficking victims cooperating with law enforcement.

Vigorously investigate and prosecute suspects and convict traffickers of both sex and labor trafficking as trafficking offenses and seek adequate penalties for convicted traffickers, which should involve significant prison terms.

Consider additional measures of protection for sea fishers to reduce their risk of labor trafficking.

Offer specialized accommodations to trafficking victims that are safe, appropriate, and trauma-informed.

Continue to systematically train law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges on a victim-centered, trauma-informed approach to law enforcement efforts and trials and sensitize judges to the severity of trafficking crimes.

Allow all victims to access the NRM without requiring cooperation with law enforcement.

Ensure victims are not inappropriately penalized solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked.

Update and adopt a NAP that includes a clear timeline for implementation, responsible ministries, and resources for implementation.

Increase efforts to use corroborating evidence in addition to victim testimony.

Increase resources for legal assistance to victims as well as the legal services provided, including assistance to victims through investigations and court proceedings, which can be accessed at the earliest opportunity and prior to engaging with police.

Establish a national hotline to report for all forms of trafficking crimes, including labor trafficking.

Increase awareness of, and trafficking survivor access, to damages and increase efforts to systematically request restitution for survivors during criminal trials, particularly for undocumented workers or victims of sex trafficking.

Continue regular liaison between investigators and prosecutors on evidentiary standards and legal matters that arise during investigations in trafficking cases.

Prioritize investigating fraudulent labor recruitment and ensure cases found to be labor trafficking are prosecuted as trafficking rather than labor code violations.

Expand government authorities to ensure the effective regulation and monitoring of agencies that recruit domestic workers and au pairs.

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