Justice minister ‘will not oppose’ Cork senator’s bill on sex-for-rent adverts

Justice minister Jim O’Callaghan has said he will not oppose a Cork senator’s bill aiming to criminalise the act of seeking sexual services in exchange for a reduced rent or in lieu of rent.

Last week, Labour’s Laura Harmon launched the Prohibition of Advertising or Importuning Sex for Rent Bill 2025. The bill proposes a fine of up to €50,000 for those convicted of advertising rental spaces under such terms.

Ms Harmon’s proposed legislation follows the recent publication of a report featuring testimony from a Cork student who had to share a bed with strangers.

Speaking to reporters at Anglesea St in Cork on Friday, Mr O’Callaghan said he would not be opposing Ms Harmon’s bill but he did intend to propose amendments.

“I want to commend the senator, because a lot of the times when opposition parties raise issues, they just raise it by way of a motion.

“I’ve read her bill; she’s gone to the trouble of drafting a bill.

“I understand the issue that she’s seeking to address,” he said.

“I am not going to oppose her bill when it comes before the Seanad next week, however I will be making some suggestions in respect of it.

“If you look at the bill itself, it’s in respect of advertisements… it seeks to prohibit advertisements which state that ‘I will provide you with accommodation if you provide me with sexual services’. The likelihood of that happening, I would have thought, is highly remote, being honest with you,” Mr O’Callaghan said.

“But still, I’m not going to oppose it; we’ve indicated before that it is an issue that arose its head previously. It’s not acceptable that people would seek to secure sexual services in respect of the provision of accommodation.

“I would have thought it’s already a criminal offence, but I won’t be opposing [the bill] and I’ll be making further comments on it when it comes before the Seanad.”

Ms Harmon said she was keen to work cross-party and with the justice minister to get her proposed legislation passed through the Oireachtas. “I am looking forward to the debate in the Seanad this Wednesday,” she said.

“One of my priorities as a senator is to stand up for the most marginalised, and this legislation will be an important step in protecting vulnerable students, migrants, and women who predominantly encounter these ‘sex-for-rent’ ads.

“The legislation covers public ads but it also covers text messages and electronic communications.”