The Department of Justice has expressed disappointment about Ireland's ranking in a global assessment of human trafficking.
The Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report 2021 confirms that Ireland is to remain, for the second year running, on a 'watchlist' due to its inadequate response in tackling the problem.
The Department of Justice has said it is disappointed that the US State Department "did not acknowledge as sufficient the significant progress that has been made to upgrade Ireland’s ranking".
In a statement it notes "significant advancements over the past 12 months" in measures to combat human trafficking and support victims according.
Ireland's Human Rights and Equality Commission has acknowledged that positive steps have been taken.
However, in its capacity as Ireland’s Independent National Rapporteur on the Trafficking of Human Beings and as Ireland’s National Human Rights and Equality Body, it has cited the need for a new national action plan "with clear commitments regarding gender-specific accommodation for victims".
In a statement responding to the report, Minister of State for Criminal and Civil Justice Hildegarde Naughton noted the impact of the pandemic on working to combat human trafficking.
"There are concerns about the lack of consistency in simply applying a year-on-year comparator while the impact of Covid-19 on work in this area has not been adequately represented," she said.
Minister Naughton highlighted the "significance" of the recent convictions for human trafficking handed down by the Courts and acknowledged the dedication of An Garda Síochána in this area of its work.
The Human Rights and Equality Commission said the reality is that Ireland continues to fall below minimum standards compared to other developed nations.
"This US Government assessment of Ireland’s progress, and their decision to effectively rank Ireland as a State with an inadequate human trafficking response, underpins the urgent need for reform and improvement," the statement said.
The TIPS report is published annually by the US State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking.
For two decades it has ranked governments on their perceived efforts to acknowledge and combat human trafficking.
Nations are divided into three tiers based on their compliance with standards in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act.
Ireland used to be in tier one, but three years ago it was downgraded to tier two, with Romania and Bosnia.
Last year the country was downgraded further to a tier two watch list.
This latest report says that Ireland remains at that ranking.
ITF says report 'shames' Ireland's and its fishing industry
The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) Fisheries Campaign said that, once again, Ireland and its fishing industry has been shamed.
It said "the lack of tangible results" in the many referrals from the federation to gardaí of non-EEA (European Economic Area) fishers is a contributory factor in maintaining Ireland’s position alongside Romania as the only tier two watchlist countries in Europe.
Since the Government amended its atypical working scheme for sea fishers in 2019, it has identified zero trafficking victims in the fishing industry, compared to 23 victims in 2018, according to the ITF.
Campaign lead Michael O’Brien said some experts have continued to raise serious concerns and asserted that foreign national sea fishers outside of the EEA are at even greater risk following the amendment of the scheme.
The ITF said the Government began revoking the status and associated protections against previously identified trafficking victims within this sector.
It also noted that in the course of the last five months since the ITF has been in a position to step up its campaign in fisheries again, it has encountered over 20 undocumented fishers from Egypt and Ghana who to one degree or another report abuse and deception.
