The exploitation of vulnerable women for sex in exchange for housing was first highlighted by reporter Ann Murphy in 2020.
Young migrant workers with limited English and no network and Ukrainians fleeing the war were among those Ann spoke to in her reporting who had fallen victim. She identified cases all over Ireland, including towns like Newcastlewest, Dungarvan and Kinsale.
After a major Irish Examiner investigation in 2021 in which Ann confronted landlords - including one married couple seeking to fill a \"granny flat\" with a woman who would sleep with the husband in return for accommodation, the issue reached the Dáil floor and civil society organisations began to conduct their own research.
It turned out that the increasingly widespread practice was not illegal, with those women who braved the Gardai being told it was a civil matter, while both the Department of Justice and Housing told Ann it was a matter for Gardaí.
Now, with a new law introduced to tackle this form of exploitation, Ann talks to Deirdre about the investigations, the campaign for legal change – and whether she thinks women will be protected under the new law.
Ann's journalism on this subject won the award for 'Campaigning Journalism' at the Newsbrands Ireland Awards 2026.
Listen to the original podcast here: Sex for rent: The 'dangerous h…–The Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast – Apple Podcasts
Read our coverage here: Call for campaign to inform people most at risk of sex-for-rent offers
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