Policy makers facilitating or allowing organized crime to run Prostitution in Ireland?

Sugar_Rush

I watched back over the two RTE investigates series on this topic (one of which is on youtube, the other on the RTE player), as well as Claire Byrnes panel.

Just let me make this clear, it's not a condemnation of what many first world countries consider to be adults making their own life choices.

It's condemnation of Irish policy makers collectively neglecting an issue for nigh on decades and allowing organized crime to subsequently thrive on and fester in this area; apparently over some moral complex they have in openly addressing it?

The individual who was the prime focus of both RTE episodes, was clearly scamming welfare payments intended for those out of work or unable to self-provide, and was most recently convicted of attempting to crack open an ATM machine.

I don't know if that qualifies as "organized crime" but wow, I'm just saying, north and south of the border in ireland there are it would seem, about five to six hundred prostitutes operating at any one time (not to mention massage parlors and other such premises).

Not an iota of licensure, not a dime in tax, the entire industry is a free for all.

It's primary advertising outlet Escort-Ireland turns over about 6 million in revenue each year (not a dime going to the Irish state btw), and was itself founded by a convicted brothel keeper who basically skipped the country to keep the funds rolling in, so who knows what kind of moral ambiguity is perpetrated by way of their medium?

Sugar_Rush

A conservative estimate on annual turnover in Irish prostitution would be around 100 million.

Conservative estimate.

Could be up to double that, and has been for decades.

But policy makers continue to neglect policy determination?

Is it simply a moral quandary on their behalf, or perhaps they're concerned with public backlash (losing their seat) if they advocate for associated policy?