Fiona Doherty, Donegal Domestic Violence Service; Michael Moreton, An Garda Siochana; Finola Brennan, Donegal Women’s network, NC Britton; Letterkenny Women’s Centre, Helena Bracken; Nexus, Sarah Donovan; Donegal sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre, Michael Harrison, An Garda Siochana
Front row – Roisin Kavanagh, Letterkenny Women’s Centre and Catherine Brown HSE Community Health Advisor
An information booklet aimed at raising awareness among local HSE and voluntary service providers that human trafficking is a crime which can take place anywhere, including rural areas such as Donegal, was launched in Letterkenny on Monday.
This local information booklet is called “The Truth about Human Trafficking: A guide to the issue of Human Trafficking for Service Providers in Co Donegal.”
It provides a readable, concise overview of the issue of human trafficking, along with contact information of both local and national, statutory and community organisations.
Statutory and voluntary services can be the first point of contact for potential victims of trafficking. It is important that service providers are alert to this issue and are able to recognise, respond and report or refer any concerns appropriately.
The booklet was compiled by the Human Trafficking Working Group, an interagency partnership with members representing organisations such as the HSE, An Garda Siochána, Letterkenny Women’s Centre, Donegal Domestic Violence Service, Donegal Sexual Abuse & Rape Crisis Centre, Nexus and National Collective of community-based Women’s Network-Donegal Women’s Network.
Kieran Doherty, General Manager, HSE Donegal who launched the booklet said, “The information booklet is excellent. It should be used as a template for the rest of the country as it would be a valuable resource for frontline staff”.
Speakers at the launch included Gerardine Rowley, Policy & Communications Manager from Ruhama, representatives from An Garda Siochána and Aibhlin O’Leary from the immigrant Council of Ireland. Information stands represented several local and national organisations, and a sample of artwork from the booklet by Saif Modawi was also on display. The sponsors for the publication of the booklet were Letterkenny Women’s Centre.
In addition to producing this information booklet, the working group have previously organised presentations for both the clinical society in Letterkenny and local General Practitioners in the Donegal Town area. The group plan further events in Co Donegal, to continue to raise awareness of the issue of human trafficking.
Further information and copies of the booklet can be obtained through the Letterkenny Women’s Centre, Port Road, Letterkenny, Tel 074 9124985, email womenscentrelkenny@eircom.net or Community Health Advisor, HSE Isaac Butt House, Ballybofey. Tel 074 9189044, email catherinej.brown@hse.ie
The booklet is available on the HSE website at the following link:
http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/Launch_of_%E2%80%9CThe_Truth_about_Human_Trafficking_A_guide_to_the_issue_of_Human_Trafficking_for_Service_Providers_in_Co_Donegal%E2%80%9D_.html