Launch of

Child Trafficking in Ireland including ICT facilitated Child Trafficking

Liam Herrick, Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC)

Liam Herrick, Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC), introduced the report as a study of children who are among the most vulnerable and at risk, yet are often “hidden in plain sight”. He thanked the researchers, academics, civil society organisations, Gardaí and panellists involved, including representatives of Children’s Health Ireland, MECPATHS and Tusla. As Ireland’s National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings, IHREC was, he said, an appropriate place to launch the report.

A recurring theme of his remarks was the under-identification of child victims. Although the number of children identified is growing, he argued that the more urgent question is not how many children we have indentified but 'how many have been missed.'

Children may be groomed, exploited or controlled without understanding what is happening to them, and their experiences of trafficking can differ greatly from those of adults. Digital contact, he warned, can be the beginning of grooming and exploitation in person and computer gaming is now a route for perpetrators to begin to groom vulnerable children.

Mr Herrick called for a child-centred National Referral Mechanism with clear operational guidelines. Referring to the mechanism provided for in legislation in 2024, he said that the framework exists, but the arrangements needed to make it work for children are not yet in place. He expressed concern that further work to operationalise it was not currently included in the Department of Justice’s programme, leaving a gap that the State must resolve.

He noted that successive reports and organisations have raised similar concerns and made similar recommendations over many years. In his view, the State has been repeatedly put on notice of its responsibilities. He urged it to consider the findings of this report and take the steps needed to identify and protect children affected by trafficking.

Keynote Address Professor Siobhán Mullaly (right)

Professor Siobhán Mullaly delivered the keynote address at the launch of the report, following an introduction by Liam Herrick, Chief Commissioner of IHREC. She described the report as timely and its central finding as stark: child victims of human trafficking are going unidentified and unprotected, while perpetrators continue to act with impunity. In her view, Ireland has repeatedly failed these children and has not responded with the urgency the situation demands.

She contrasted the speed of work on the Global Compact for Migration with what she described as the slow transposition of the 2024 EU Anti-Trafficking Directive. She noted that people working in transport, hotels, migrant accommodation and healthcare have raised concerns about children being trafficked in Ireland. Yet without an effective National Referral Mechanism and appropriate supports, children can fall through the gaps between services. She argued that the State has long been aware of these risks and must be held accountable for its failure to protect children.

Unaccompanied children, children in care and the children of trafficking victims were identified as particularly vulnerable. The address also raised concerns about children being accommodated alongside adults, including in IPAS settings, and about barriers to healthcare, housing and counselling. Professor Mullaly pointed to Ireland’s commitments under international human rights and anti-trafficking agreements, and to repeated calls for stronger protections from the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.

The address highlighted the trafficking of children for criminal activity, including the sale of drugs, and the danger that children—particularly girls —may be treated as complicit rather than recognised as victims. Siobhan questioned whether the non-punishment principle can work in practice when trafficked children are not identified: a child compelled to commit a crime may instead be prosecuted for it. The speakers also raised the growing risk of online grooming, including through computer games and AI-enabled tools.

Professor Mullaly closed by calling for coordinated and urgent action, drawing particular attention to the lack of prosecutions. She argued that the State has a legal duty to protect child victims and suggested that a legal challenge may be needed to hold it to account.

From the Researcher.

Tegwyn Stephenson, Independent Research and Migration Consultant

Tegwyn Stephenson, a researcher from Wales with extensive experience in the field, presented the research findings. She organised her presentation around the four Ps—prevention, protection, prosecution and partnership—highlighting the key findings and identifying two priorities for action in each area.

After presenting the findings, Tegwyn outlined recommendations on legislative reform, the National Referral Mechanism, supports and services, investigations and prosecutions, prevention, partnerships and data collection. She concluded by calling for further investigation into child trafficking for sexual and criminal exploitation, including exploitation involving ICT-facilitated grooming. She also stressed the need for better data and research on children at risk, so that policy is informed by evidence and support reaches those who are most marginalised and in greatest need. The summary of her findings can be read in the photos below.

In her introduction, Tegwyn stressed that there is considerable confusion about what human trafficking is and how it affects children. She repeatedly emphasised that children are not simply “small adults” and that their experiences and needs must be understood in their own right. Describing the report’s findings as devastating, she called for an urgent response.

Panel Discussion Following the Launch.

Highlights from the Second Panel Discussion:

Liam Herrick moderated a panel discussion and his first question was on the issue of the under-identification of child victims of Human Trafficking.

Responding to the discussion, Derek Maguire said that more child victims of human trafficking are now being identified than ever before, which he viewed as a positive trend. He stressed, however, that An Garda Síochána cannot address the issue alone. At present, the Gardaí are the only competent authority for formally identifying victims; implementing the National Referral Mechanism would allow others to play a greater role.

He described the Gardaí’s ongoing efforts to raise awareness of human trafficking among healthcare professionals, social workers, community groups, schools and other practitioners. He also called for continuing training, stronger shared knowledge and a consistent approach across all services.

JP O’Sullivan of MECPATHS argued that the first step is for the State to acknowledge clearly that children are being trafficked in Ireland. He suggested that reluctance to use the language of child trafficking may reflect a fear of alarming the public. He called for meaningful State engagement, progress on the National Referral Mechanism and a response to SERP’s research findings. Greater awareness among children and the public, together with coordinated action across government, is essential, he said.

On the issue of a child-centred approach.

Cormac Quinn, Tusla, reflected on what a child-centred response to trafficking should look like. He described the report as clear and thought-provoking, and said it showed the importance of shared objectives and collaboration. A response to a trafficked child, he argued, must consider the whole child. Poverty, abuse, family disruption, mental health difficulties, displacement and adverse childhood experiences may all shape a child’s needs and ability to engage with services. Better data is also needed to inform decisions and improve outcomes for those most in need.

Mr Quinn said that accommodation was improving, while acknowledging that more remained to be done. He referred to approaches developed for people affected by domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, and said that tailored specialist assistance was now available in some places. Reliance on temporary emergency accommodation was decreasing. He said it was currently used for a small group of children with particularly acute needs—59 children at the time of the discussion—and that the facilities were regularly inspected by HIQA and the HSE. Nevertheless, he hoped to see an end to its use.

Dr Aisling Geoghegan, a paediatric consultant with Children’s Health Ireland, emphasised the need for flexibility in caring for child victims of trafficking. Child victims may be in a constant state of fight or flight and struggle to regulate their emotions. If a child cannot or will not come to a clinic, services must find another way to reach them. If a child is willing to discuss only one aspect of their experience, that boundary must be respected. A child-centred response must adapt to the child’s needs and pace.

Dr Geoghegan also highlighted the role of nurses, who may be able to build connections with children in ways that differ from doctors. Dedicated, appropriately trained nurses with enough time to develop trust could make a substantial difference to children whose needs are often complex.

On the issue of ICT Facilitated Grooming and Child Trafficking

On ICT-facilitated child trafficking, JP O’Sullivan of MECPATHS spoke about the changing methods used by traffickers. They no longer need to be physically close to a child to begin grooming them: contact can start online, including through gaming platforms. He asked whether current responses are equipped to meet this evolving challenge.

JP stressed that a child can never be complicit in their own exploitation. He suggested that helping children recognise and disclose what is happening to them, alongside investment in education and targeted interventions, could make a difference. As an example, he described a video produced by ICON in Dublin’s north-east inner city that explicitly addressed grooming and trafficking. (This can be viewed HERE). He said it had become apparent that funding would cease if ICON continued to use the term “trafficking” in the video.

Gerard McGuire then turned to policing and prosecution, identifying children’s extensive access to the internet as a significant challenge.

Discussing the grooming of children, JP O’Sullivan and Liam Herrick referred to the Greentown and Bluetown reports as part of an existing body of knowledge that should inform the response. JP described how children can be drawn in with gifts before being used to deliver drugs. He spoke of children as young as eight dealing drugs in Blanchardstown and argued that, when such children break the law, they are too often seen first as criminala rather than as children who may have been groomed and exploited. We owe it to them, he said, to view their actions through a lens of vulnerability also.

JP also referred to cases brought by children in the UK who had been criminalised for acts committed while they were being trafficked. He questioned why Irish child victims appear in the UK’s National Referral Mechanism statistics while remaining unidentified in Ireland. He highlighted the responsibility of healthcare institutions to help recognise and support children at risk.

In a question following the panel discussion, Ruth Breslin urged greater attention to demand and prevention. Trafficking does not happen in a vacuum, she said, yet too much effort is focused on responding after the crime has occurred, while prosecutions remain too low. She asked what more could be achieved by addressing men’s role in ICT-facilitated grooming, equipping girls in care with information and support, and holding technology companies to account for the ways their platforms can facilitate exploitation. She called for stronger action against organised crime and wider education, asking whether the current balance of effort is right.

Closing Remarks

Professor Siobhán Mullally gave the closing remarks. The report, she said, adds to what is known about harms that have been raised repeatedly over many years. Trafficking must be named and recognised, rather than allowed to become normalised. She stressed that the State has obligations to victims and that an effective children centred National Referral Mechanism is critical both to identifying children and to ensuring they can access the services and supports they need. She also emphasised the State’s duty to apply the non-punishment principle to victims compelled to commit offences.

Professor Mullally acknowledged the commitment of those who had prepared the report and attended its launch, including people who have worked for many years to protect vulnerable children. She closed by calling on everyone present to press the State to fulfil its legal obligations to children who have been left furthest behind.

I had a few minutes to wander before the launch and caught Dublin at its best and worst.