The Irish Council for International Students (ICOS) has issued a press release strongly welcoming the Irish government’s plan to introduce new legislation banning “sex for rent” exploitation.
The press release highlights ICOS research from 2024, which found that some female international students in Ireland had been offered accommodation in exchange for sexual favours.
ICOS states in the release that it has been campaigning for this legal change and commends the efforts of campaigners and students who have spoken out on this issue.
ICOS research: shocking truths revealed
Research carried out by ICOS in 2024 found that 5% of female international students said they had either received an offer to rent a room in exchange for sex or had seen a room that was being advertised in exchange for sex.
Speaking about the announced legislation, ICOS Policy and Communications Manager, Brian Hearne, said: “ICOS has been calling for the introduction of legislation to clamp down on ‘sex for rent’ exploitation in the rental market for several years, and we welcome the commitment from government to take action on this issue. We look forward to seeing details of the bill and engaging with the Minister for Justice and government on this important piece of legislation.”
ICOS commended the efforts of Senator Laura Harmon for her continued campaigning on this issue, as well as Darling Duran, a recent international student graduate from Bolivia, who bravely spoke about her experience of receiving inappropriate and exploitative sexual offers of rent free accommodation while searching for a place to live in Ireland.
About ICOS
The Irish Council for International Students (ICOS) is an independent advocacy organisation whose mission is to protect and enhance the rights of international students in Ireland while championing their contribution in the places they study and in the communities in which they live.
ICOS has 27 institutional members, including all the universities and technological universities in Ireland, and many independent third level colleges. Its membership includes the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), and it has a Student Advisory Group to help support and inform its work.
