The Irish government is currently reviewing Part 4 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017, which criminalised the purchase of sex and significantly increased penalties for brothel-keeping.

Brothel-keeping, which criminalises two or more sex workers selling sexual services from the same premises, is punishable with a €5,000 fine or up to 12 months’ imprisonment.

Amnesty’s new 62-page report is based on interviews with sex workers and states that criminalisation of aspects of sex work is forcing sex workers to take more risks as they avoid the police, putting their lives and safety in jeopardy.

The majority of the sex workers interviewed for the research want sex work fully decriminalised in Ireland, including the purchase of sex. They also said that sharing premises with other sex workers helps to increase their safety and limits the potential risk of violence.

Polling conducted by Amnesty in December 2021 revealed that 70 per cent of people in Ireland believe sex workers should be consulted on any law that directly affects them, while 73 per cent felt that sex workers have a right to make decisions about their bodies and lives.

Colm O’Gorman, executive director of Amnesty International Ireland, said: “Laws intended to protect sex workers are putting them at higher risk of abuse and violence, including rape and physical attacks. This is what sex workers are telling us about the actual impact of the 2017 law, and the Irish government needs to start listening to them.

“Our research clearly shows that criminalising the purchase of sex is forcing sex workers to take more risks, while penalising brothel-keeping is preventing sex workers from working together to ensure their own safety.”