New laws banning sex for rent to go before Cabinet today
Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan will ask the Government to draft, as a matter of priority, laws which he argues would address 'highly exploitative behaviour'.
The move will come as part of a new Criminal Law and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025, which aims to respond to 'a range of pressing challenges for the criminal justice system'.
With regard to sex-for-rent arrangements, the new bill will introduce two new criminal offences: offering accommodation in exchange of sex; and the advertising of accommodation in exchange of sex.
The main benefits of these provisions, the Cabinet will be told, include increased protections for vulnerable individuals and the potential to act as a deterrent to landlords or property owners currently engaging in such behaviour.
Ministers will be told the proposal supports the Government's broader efforts to tackle domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, and offers positive potential impacts for gender equality.
The laws aim to encompass both tenancies and licence arrangements. The proposed initial penalty is a class A fine, which is up to €5,000.
Social Democrats TD Cian O'Callaghan drafted legislation to tackle the practice in March 2022, but it was rejected after pre-legislative scrutiny.
A National Women's Council (NWC)report has found students and migrant women were particularly vulnerable to this form of exploitation. Up to one in 20 students have been propositioned with a sex-for-rent scenario.
Recent research into Ireland's rental market found it creates the 'perfect environment' for the exploitation of tenants, with some landlords offering discounted or free accommodation in return for sex. Some women are being forced to accept such arrangements to avoid becoming homeless, the report from the NWC found.
The NWC said practice of sex for rent has become a common occurrence.
An Irish Council for International Students survey earlier this year found one in seven people had been offered rentals where they share a room – and sleep in the same bed – with people they do not know.
All the respondents who received sex-for-rent offers were non-native English speakers and 68pc were female.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Journal
8 hours ago
- The Journal
Housing Minister pulls plug on almost 500 social homes across six sites over rising costs
ALMOST 500 HOMES have been delayed after Housing Minister James Browne pulled the plug over concerns about the costs involved in the multimillion euro project. The social housing developments were understood to be near shovel-ready and were to be delivered under a public private partnership (PPP) scheme across six sites. Up to 244 of the homes were planned for Dublin and the others are spread across Kildare, Wicklow and Sligo. It is unclear when the homes will now be delivered, but the Housing Minister stressed tonight in a statement to The Journal that the government aims to to deliver them 'as expeditiously as possible' through an 'alternative procurement and delivery strategy'. The decision is set to have significant ramifications, as the department confirmed this evening that housing officials will now carry out a review of four upcoming PPP bundles – each earmarked to contain hundreds of homes. 'After careful evaluation of the costs associated with the 486 homes which were to be delivered under PPP Bundle 3, the Department has decided not to proceed with contract award on a value for money basis,' Browne said tonight. 'The department and the relevant local authorities remain fully committed to delivering the social housing that PPP Bundle 3 was designed to provide. These social homes are very much needed and remain a priority for Government, my Department and the relevant Local Authorities.' Brown said that all six sites have 'full planning permission' and that the department is determined to deliver the homes quickly under a new procurement and delivery strategy. The sites that have been hit by the delay are: 68 homes at the Ready Mix Site, East Wall Road, Dublin 3; 93 homes earmarked for older people in Shangan Road, Ballymun, Dublin 9; 83 homes in Collins Avenue, Whitehall, Dublin 9; 73 homes in Ardrew, Athy, Co. Kildare; 106 homes in Burgage More, Blessington, Co. Wicklow; and 63 homes in Rathellen, Finisklin, Sligo. Advertisement It is not yet known how much the project was set to cost the taxpayer but inflation has been an increasing issue in the housing sector in recent years. In the two previous public private partnership projects, delivered under the same process, final capital spend was €119 million and €129 million respectively. Homes in the latter of those projects costed on average €277,000, excluding VAT. Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin said the sudden reversal means the minister needs to provide funding to local councils to deliver the homes directly with contractors 'without any further delay'. 'I have always argued that PPPs don't represent value for money for the taxpayer. It's somewhat ironic the government are now saying they don't believe PPPs are good value for money,' Ó Broin told The Journal . He said that the schemes are a poor way to deliver social housing, partly due to the complex structure requiring up to five different partners for each housing project. 'The most important thing now – on foot of the minister's decision – is what he's going to do to deliver, as a matter of urgency, these homes which are badly needed,' Ó Broin added. 'Homelessness is rising, house prices are rising, waiting lists are rising, council waiting lists are rising. This needs to be resolved as soon as possible.' This week's halting of the PPP scheme is likely to pile further pressure on the government over its housing delivery numbers. The government came under fire in recent months for missing its overall 2024 housing target of 40,000 homes by a margin of 10,000. And it came in for further criticism in April when it emerged that it had fallen short of its social housing target for last year by 18%, amounting to 2,345 homes. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Examiner
10 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Boy fell over edge at Cliffs of Moher after slipping, inquest told
A 12-year-old boy lost his balance after slipping in a puddle close to the edge of the Cliffs of Moher before falling to his death, an inquest has heard. In testimony at Clare Coroner's Court into the death of Zhihan Zhao on July 23, 2024, French tourist Marion Tourgon described seeing Zhihan fall over the edge at around 1.45pm on the day. Zhihan had set out on walking the Cliffs of Moher trail from the southern side towards the visitor centre with his mother, Xianhong Huang, and her friends. The two Chinese nationals had arrived in Ireland only 12 days previously. Ms Huang said Zhihan was walking ahead of her on the trail and she lost sight of him. Speaking through an interpreter at the inquest in Kilrush, Ms Huang asked: 'What exactly caused Zhihan to fall from the cliffs?' Clare county coroner Isobel O'Dea told Ms Huang the evidence of Ms Tourgon would help answer that question. Ms Tourgon said she was at the edge of the cliffs with her husband and two children at around 1.45pm. They were taking a selfie when she saw a young Asian boy, who was alone, come into view. 'I saw him slipping in the puddle that appears in the photo that my husband sent to the police," Ms Tourgon said. His right foot slipped into the puddle with him trying to stop himself from falling with his left foot, but his left foot ended up in the air 'It was very quick. He found himself in an awkward position with his left foot in a void over the cliff and his right knee on the edge of the cliff. "His right knee eventually fell into the void over the cliff, and he was trying to grasp the grass with his hands to pull himself up. He didn't shout and there was no noise.' She said that 'it is the only the few of us who saw him falling'. One path The Tourgons alerted the emergency services by phone. Ms Huang asked: 'Did he slip?' In reply, Insp Helen Costello told her: 'It appears from the witness that he slipped into the void having stumbled in the puddle.' In her deposition, Ms Huang said she started out from Nagle's carpark in Liscannor with Zhihan and friends of hers. 'My son walked very fast and was ahead of us by 50m. As there was only one path, I thought we would meet him along the way. When I didn't, I walked to the visitor centre and I checked the visitor centre." When she couldn't find her son, she walked back along the path to search for her son and after not finding him, she reported him missing. She said she last saw Zhihan at 1pm that day. She said Zhihan was a fluent English speaker. Sgt Claire McGuigan said Ms Huang was able to provide a photo of Zhihan she had taken taken earlier on the trail. Garda Colm Collins said he received a call that day at 2pm after a boy was seen falling off the cliff edge. He said the Irish Coast Guard spotted a body floating in the water at the base of the Cliffs of Moher. A lifeboat was launched, but it was not able to access the site where the body was spotted due to the sea conditions. Autopsy Zhihan's body would not be recovered for another five days. Fisherman Matthew O'Halloran, from Corofin, spotted a body in the water between Doolin and the Aran Islands shortly after 10am on July 28. He alerted the coastguard at Valentia and members of the Doolin unit retrieved Zhihan's body from the waters and brought it ashore. Ms O'Dea said the autopsy found Zhihan died from multiple traumatic injuries consistent with a fall from a height. Ms O'Dea said her verdict was one of accidental death. 'It is clear from evidence we heard that Zhihan slipped off the cliffs rather than any other way. His death would have been very quick, instantaneous." Ms O'Dea told Ms Huang: 'I can't imagine how upsetting this is for you." The two embraced as Ms Huang left the Coroner's Court. Ms O'Dea also extended her sympathies to Zhihan's father, who was not present. On August 22, the Clare Local Development Company closed off large sections of part of the Cliffs of Moher trail and it remains closed off today due to continuing safety concerns. In May 2024, a student in her early 20s from Belgium died after she fell from the Cliffs of Moher.
The Irish Sun
11 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Boy, 12, who died after falling from Cliffs of Moher slipped in a puddle and lost balance inquest hears
A BOY, 12, lost his balance after slipping in a puddle close to the edge of the Cliffs of Moher before falling over the edge to his death, an inquest has heard. In eye-witness testimony at the Zhihan had set out on walking the Cliffs of Moher trail from Hag's Head on the Liscannor side or southern side of the Cliffs of Moher to the Cliffs of Moher visitor centre with his mother, Xianhong Huang and her friends. The two Last year, 1.49m people visited the Cliffs of Moher making it Ireland's most popular natural attraction. In her deposition, Ms Huang said that Zhihan was walking ahead of her on the Cliffs of Moher trail and she lost sight of him. READ MORE IN NEWS Speaking through an interpreter at the inquest in Kilrush, Co Clare, Ms Huang wiping away tears, asked: 'What exactly caused Zhihan to fall from the Cliffs?' Clare County Coroner, Isobel O'Dea told the distraught Ms Huang that the evidence of Ms Tourgon would help answer that question. In her deposition Ms Tourgon said that she was at the edge of the Cliffs of Moher with her husband and two children at around 1.45pm. She said that they were taking a selfie when she saw a young Asian boy, who was alone, come into view. Most read in Irish News She said: 'I saw him slipping in the puddle that appears in the photo that my husband sent to the police." Ms Tourgon said: 'His right foot slipped into the puddle with him trying to stop himself from falling with his left foot but his left foot ended up in the air.' She said: 'It was very quick - he found himself in an awkward position with his left foot in a void over the cliff and his right knee on the edge of the cliff.' Major search operation after young boy goes missing at Cliffs of Moher. Ms Tourgon said: 'His right knee eventually fell into the void over the cliff and he was trying to grasp the grass with his hands to pull himself up. He didn't shout and there was no noise.' She said that 'it is the only the few of us who saw him falling' and the Tourgons alerted the emergency services by phone. Speaking again through an interpreter, Ms Huang asked 'did he slip?' and in reply, Insp Helen Costello told her: 'It appears from the witness that he slipped into the void having stumbled in the puddle.' In her deposition, Ms Huang said that she started out from Nagle's car park in Liscannor to walk to the Cliffs of Moher with Zhihan and friends of hers. She said: 'My son walked very fast and was ahead of us by 50 metres' She said: 'As there was only one path I thought we would meet him along the way. "When I didn't I walked to the visitor centre and I checked the visitor centre." COASTGUARD OP When she couldn't find her son here, she walked back along the path to search for her son and after not finding him, she reported him missing. She said that she last saw Zhihan at 1pm that day. She said that Zhihan was a fluent English speaker and described the clothes that Zhihan was wearing that day including black shorts, Nike Air Jordans, an LA Lakers wristband and a kid's smart-watch. Sgt Claire McGuigan said that on the day, Ms Huang was able to provide a photo of Zhihan she had taken taken earlier on the Cliffs of Moher trail. He said that the Irish Coastguard had spotted a body floating in the water at the base of the Cliffs of Moher. Through the interpreter, the mother asked was the location the same spot where scenes from a Harry Potter movie were shot and Insp Costello said that they were not. Garda Collins said that a Zhihan's body would not be recovered from the sea for another five days and was recovered after fisherman, Matthew O'Halloran from Corofin, Co Clare spotted a body in the water between Doolin and the Aran Islands shortly after 10am on Sunday, July 28. 'INSTANTANEOUS' DEATH Mr O'Halloran alerted the Irish coastguard at Valentia and members of the Doolin unit of the Irish coastguard retrieved Zhihan's body from the waters and brought it ashore at Doolin. Ms O'Dea said that the post mortem found that Zhihan died from multiple traumatic injuries consistent with a fall from a height. Ms O'Dea said her verdict was one of 'accidental death'. She said: 'It is clear from evidence we heard that Zhihan slipped off the Cliffs rather than any other way. His death would have been very quick - instantaneous." Ms O'Dea told Ms HuangL 'I can't imagine how upsetting this is for you' and the two embraced as Ms Huang left the coroner's court in Kilrush. Ms O'Dea also extended her sympathies to Zhihan's father who was not present at the inquest. Addressing Ms Huang, Insp Costello said: 'The pain must be immeasurable for you all.' Ms Huang declined to comment on the record when approached for comment after the inquest. On August 22nd of last year, the Clare Local Development Company closed off large sections of part of the Cliffs of Moher trail and it remains closed off today due to continuing safety concerns. At the time, the Clare Local Development Company confirmed that it was taking the action following the two recent fatal accidents on the Cliffs of Moher trail. In May 2024, a young woman died after she fell from the Cliffs of Moher. She was in her early 20s and a college student from Belgium who was studying in 1 The boy died last year Credit: Getty Images
