Progress on human trafficking not recognised - Minister

The Minister for Justice has expressed disappointment that "significant progress" by Government in eliminating human trafficking was not acknowledged in a recent international report.

Last month, the Trafficking in Persons Report found that the Irish State had not met the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking in 2025, but was making significant efforts to do so.

The international ranking system conducted by the US Department of State tracks data, measures government actions, and evaluates trends related to human trafficking.

The publication designated Ireland as Tier 2 for a fifth year after being moved from the Tier 2 watch list where it was placed in 2020 and 2021.

Speaking at the APT Ireland (Act to Prevent Trafficking) Conference this afternoon, Minister Jim O'Callaghan pointed to a 70% increase in the number of identified victims last year as well as the first convictions for trafficking for the purposes of labour exploitation.

He also highlighted the first prosecutions for trafficking for the purposes of criminal exploitation.

"This progress is supported by continued efforts to raise awareness of human trafficking, strengthening prevention, and improving training for frontline professionals," he said.

Despite a rise in formal identification of trafficking victims, there are concerns about under reporting.

Two survivors were identified in 2022, 53 in 2023, 67 in 2024 and 114 last year.

Research recently published by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) on child trafficking showed that 10 children were formally identified as victims of trafficking in Ireland in 2024. In 2025, that figure rose to 18.

Gardaí have the sole responsibility for the formal identification of victims of trafficking, however, a range of Government department, State bodies, and organisations play important roles in referring potential victims to gardaí, through the National Referral Mechanism (NRM).

The NRM is an official framework used to identify and support victims of human trafficking and modern slavery (such as forced labour, servitude, and criminal or sexual exploitation). It was enacted here in 2024, but the new system has not been implemented.

IHREC previously pointed to Government resources being disproportionately diverted to managing and rolling out the EU Migration and Asylum Pact; resulting in domestic anti-trafficking reforms being stalled.

Speaking at today's conference, the head of IHREC Liam Herrick reiterated his concerns over the Government's failure to operationalise the statutory mechanism.

"Meanwhile, the existing arrangements remain inadequate, and victims continue to face delays in identification and significant barriers to accessing specialist support, including safe accommodation," he said.

"These are not simply administrative shortcomings. They have real consequences for people experiencing exploitation. They leave victims in precarious, uncertain positions for example facing homelessness or being undocumented; they leave victims at risk of further exploitation or worse, expose them to an ongoing exploitative situation."

Minister O'Callaghan said that in preparation for the commencement of part three of the Act, which relates to bodies that will take on new responsibilities, "a number of significant practical and operational challenges have emerged".

Therefore, he said it would be moving forward on "a phased administrative basis".

Further ways to exploit people in digital age

APT, which hosted the conference, is a faith-based group working against Trafficking in Persons (TIP). The members belong to religious congregations or missionary societies which are part of the Association of Leaders of Missionaries and Religious of Ireland (AMRI).

Guest speaker, the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland Eamon Martin told those gathered that he had read about a joint investigation by police and crime agencies, north and south on this island, "Operation Liverless", which led to the sentencing of a woman and a man for a major human trafficking operation.

"What struck me was that the criminal exploitation of vulnerable people is happening very close to where I live; it is happening all around us, in this case across the North, with victims mainly from Brazil being used and abused, sexually exploited and treated like commodities, mostly due to their lack of English and their immigration status," he said.

He pointed to Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, where a section is devoted to the issue, under the title: 'Breaking the chains of new forms of slavery.'

"Trafficking begins when we stop seeing a person and start seeing something that can be used, controlled or sold," he said.

He added that the digital age had not created "this mentality", but it had given "new and powerful instruments to those who would exploit others".