A note of caution on change to prostitution law

Dear Editor, Regarding the Swedish-type prostitution law which Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald intends to introduce and which has been supported in the pages of this paper (IC 22/10/2015 ‘Border towns at risk of prostitution ‘scourge’, Dromore bishop warns’), this writer believes it is prudent to sound a note of caution here.

Firstly, some of the assumptions behind the proposed law are, to say the least, open to question.

Secondly, it is practically inevitable that a law of this nature will have unintended consequences, some of which may prove to be highly undesirable.

Thirdly, I believe it can safely be said that the proposed measure will not prove to be the panacea for prostitution that some of its supporters seem to hope it will be.

Lastly, the measure has the appearance of being a simplistic solution to a complex issue, and it’s in the nature of simplistic solutions to complex issues that they have the potential to do more harm than good.

Yours etc.,

Hugh Gibney,

Athboy, Co. Meath.