Ban on sex for rent to be debated in Dáil

A law that would criminalise the practice of sex for rent will be introduced to the Dáil when it returns from summer recess. 

Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin has published legislation that would criminalise a landlord seeking a sex-for-rent arrangement, and would also criminalise the advertising of such offers under the Residential Tenancies Act.

The bill will be discussed upon the Dáil’s return in September.

“Seeking sex for rent is a disgusting predatory form of behaviour. It should be outlawed,” the Dublin Mid-West TD said.

“The Bill I am publishing today is an amendment to the Residential Tenancies Act. It would make it an offence under section 19 of that Act for a landlord to seek sex in lieu of rent or to advertise for such arrangements.”

“It is unacceptable that vulnerable tenants would be exposed to this kind of abhorrent behaviour. It is also unacceptable that almost two years since the issue was first brought to the public attention and a full year after legislation passed in the Dáil that Government has failed to act,” O Broin said.

The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (Sex for Rent) Bill 2023 follows Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan introducing the Ban on Sex for Rent Bill in the Dáil in early 2022.

Despite O’Callaghan’s bill receiving cross-party support, the bill is being held up at a committee level, as it must wait for a review of Part 4 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) 2017, before any further legislative progress can be made on the issue.

O’Callaghan told The Journal that while the bill made it to committee stage, it was subsequently “killed off.”

“This is often what happens to pieces of legislation that the government don’t necessarily want to oppose but then they don’t work to get it progressed,” he said.

In the United Kingdom, the governing Conservative Party commissioned a survey on the issue, but there are no such plans to introduce a similar survey in Ireland.

A Department of Justice spokeswoman said “while the review of part 4 is a priority, the department is also considering how best to protect vulnerable people who are at risk of being in this situation as soon as possible. We are working closely with colleagues in Department of Housing to establish appropriate safeguards in this regard.”