We are deeply saddened by the closure of Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI) at the end of 2025, after more than 16 years of vital, peer-led work and activism. In their farewell statement, SWAI discussed the difficulty of closing due to a lack of funding and on a legacy that centred the voices, rights, health, safety, and self-determination of sex workers in Ireland. The loss of this service is felt across our movement and communities.
We stand in solidarity with the community of sex workers and allies in Ireland in celebrating SWAI’s immense contribution. We are honoured to help preserve their legacy by hosting their reports, media, and other evidence of their work and existence on NUM’s platform.
Find out more about SWAI’s mission, values and the work they carried out to support sex workers across Ireland by visiting their Mission Statement and find out more about them here. These pages outline their commitment to rights, safety, advocacy, harm reduction and peer-led support.
Voices of sex workers in Ireland are constantly omitted and excluded from conversations leading to laws and policies directly affecting them. This constant omission guides our research approach. Despite the dominant narrative framing all sex workers as victims of gender based violence, sex workers are knowledge creators and are best placed to speak about their reality.
While in operation, SWAI prioritised sex worker-led research to inform policy advocacy. Below are some of their project reports.
Peer research exploring the impact of Irish sex work laws on safety, crime, trust in Gardaí, and working conditions for sex workers.
Research focused on discrimination, housing insecurity, and barriers migrant sex workers face when trying to access accommodation in Ireland.
Research sharing the experiences of street sex workers in Ireland, including policing, stigma, violence, and access to justice.
Select any of the links below to access detailed information on your rights, practical guidance, and support services available for sex workers in Ireland. Please note that some archived materials are historical documents and may contain outdated phone numbers, contact details or references that are no longer active.
Below are links to the audited accounts for Sex Workers Alliance Ireland, providing a transparent record of the organisation’s financial activity and governance across previous years. These documents have been retained as part of the SWAI archive to preserve the history, impact and accountability of their work.
Click this link to view the SWAI news, press releases and advocacy archive, preserving the history and impact of their work. Please note SWAI is now closed and any older contact details or references may no longer be active.
