Demand for the sex trade among sex buyers is driving the profiteering from human trafficking.
The demand for sex trafficking is evidently growing with more victims presenting to Ruhama in 2022, according to the charity's CEO.
The organisation, which helps women who are sexually exploited for profit, engaged with 147 victims of trafficking in 2022, 45 of whom were new referrals, which is a 60% increase on new referrals in 2021.
Barbara Condon said demand for the sex trade among sex buyers is driving the profiteering from human trafficking.
It is estimated that €180m per year is made in Ireland alone.
It comes as a US State Department Trafficking in Persons report has found that Ireland has made little progress since last year in tackling the sex trafficking industry.