Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan will seek approval from the Cabinet to publish a review of legislation which criminalises payment for sexual activity with a prostitute or a trafficked person.

A review of the Sexual Offences Act 2017 was built into the law to assess its effect on sex workers after three years.

In 2021, solicitor Maura Butler SC was asked to review Part 4 of the Act, however, she was unable to complete the work within the timeframe, due to other commitments.

A decision was taken to allow the Data and Research Unit of the Department of Justice to draft and finalise the report.

Mr O'Callaghan will seek approval from Cabinet this morning to publish the findings imminently. Sex Workers Alliance of Ireland (SWAI) has been critical of the Government's review since it began.

SWAI claimed that active sex workers were not included in the process, which it said "raised serious questions about the Government's commitment to understanding the impact of these laws".

Under the law it is not an offence to receive money in exchange for sexual services, however, it is against the law for prostitutes to advertise such services and to work in cooperation.

The SWAI has called for the safety and well-being of sex workers to be prioritised.

Ireland's Sexual Exploitation Research Programme examined the legislation after three years in operation.

It said there were indications of "a major shift" in the burden of criminality in the right direction - from the seller, who had been decriminalised, to the buyer who was criminalised through Part 4 of the legislation.

It is understood gardaí used the review process to highlight the need for more powers to convict buyers.