Prostitution in the Republic of Ireland

Prostitution in Ireland is legal. However, since March 2017, it has been an offence to buy sex. All forms of third party involvement (such as operating brothels, sex trafficking, and other forms of pimping) are illegal but are commonly practiced. Since the law that criminalises clients came into being, with the purpose of reducing the demand for prostitution, the number of prosecutions for the purchase of sex increased from 10 in 2018 to 92 in 2020. In a report from UCD's Sexual Exploitation Research Programme the development is called ”a promising start in interrupting the demand for prostitution.” Most prostitution in Ireland occurs indoors. Street prostitution has declined considerably in the 21st century, with the vast majority of prostitution now advertised on the internet.