New law on soliciting children for sex

Emergency legislation to outlaw soliciting children for sex is tonight expected to pass all stages in the Dáil.

Emergency legislation to outlaw soliciting children for sex is tonight expected to pass all stages in the Dáil.

The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Amendment Bill 2007 introduces a new offence of ’grooming’ a child for sexual exploitation and will jail offenders for 14 years.

Labour leader Pat Rabbitte drew public attention to the legal loophole in the Dáil last Thursday as media reports about an alleged paedophile ring surrounding a schoolboy caused public outrage.

Mr Rabbitte said that emergency legislation on child rape passed last summer had inadvertently removed the offence of soliciting a child for sex.

Moving the bill, Minister for Justice Michael McDowell tonight thanked Mr Rabbitte for spotting the error but added that it wasn’t as significant as had been claimed.

He told the Dáil debate: “Not to bring forward this bill would leave a gap in the law.”

Mr Rabbitte had earlier questioned the Taoiseach if the bill complied with the Constitution but was assured that it did.

Fine Gael claimed the Government’s legislation was partly copied from a private members bill that the party had published in 2004.

Justice spokesman Jim O’Keeffe also accused the Government of dragging its heels on child protection.

“I think that no single government since the foundation of the state has been so cavalier with issues of child protection, nor any justice minister so callous in addressing blatant lacunae in the law.”

Green Party spokesman Dan Boyle added to the debate: “We mustn’t be producing emergency legislation to respond to the latest newspaper headlines.

“Laws must be fully researched and properly debated and be robust enough to exist long after we are gone.”

Sinn Féin’s Aengus Ó Snodaigh reminded Mr McDowell of what he had said last summer when passing emergency legislation which led to the latest loophole.

“I am confident that when the dust settles, and the frenzy stops, I will be seen to have acted with good authority and with competence, honesty and courage,” the minister had said at the time.

Mr Ó Snodaigh went on: “Well, Minister, the dust has now settled but the frenzy continues as your past incompetence leaves new loopholes clearly visible and further emergency legislation is required.”

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