Soaring rents and course fees are forcing Irish students to turn to sex work, a leading activist has claimed.

Director of Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI), Kate McGrew, revealed last night that the group are now visiting universities to offer advice to students who are considering becoming sex workers.

The sex worker, artist and activist appeared on the Tommy Tiernan Show on RTE One last night.

She told the host that SWAI set up the stalls as "A place for people to come and ask us anything."

She said: "The fastest growing group of people who are doing sex work right now are university students. We've been going into universities and setting up tables and we have safety information, know your rights cards etc."

Dublin-based Kate, who is originally from Ohio in the USA, added that SWAI have had a warm reception from students who are already engaging in sex work.

"We have young girls coming to us saying: 'I'm so glad you're here. I have been too embarrassed or ashamed to tell anybody that I'm doing this kind of work and it's very isolating and it's great to see you here'."

Speaking after the show, Kate said changes to the law that came into effect in 2017 have made it more difficult to ensure the safety of sex workers.

She said: “The illegality and stigma forced on them by the new Swedish model of criminalisation means efforts by SWAI to ensure their health and safety is extremely difficult.

"They work largely in secret and actual numbers are difficult to determine.

“However, the extent of student sex work was shown before the introduction of this new law with details in a national newspaper back in 2014 that 93 students in one Irish university alone had signed up for ‘sugaring’, just one area of sex work related activity.

"From my recent ongoing contacts with higher education students it is clear this trend has continued to increase and expand."

A review of the legislation will take place later this year and Kate urged lawmakers to into account a special report produced by the Department of Justice in Northern Ireland.

"It showed that similar laws there have had no impact on the number of sex workers. And no impact on the number of their clients.

"Instead it has promoted a divide between the male, female and and trans people who do this work and the health services and police.”

She added that she also wanted to break down the stereotype that all men who avail of the services of sex workers are women haters.

“In my experience I have worked with many clients who come to me because of physical disability, social phobias and other difficulties in their lives.

"Some seek a close physical connection, some just want to be hugged.

"This is a stark reality that is denied by the ‘criminalisation’ lobby."

SWAI plan to hold a free public discussion around disability and sex work in Bloody Mary's, South William Street on Sunday, March 1.

Keynote speakers will include journalist, disability activist and playwright Louise Bruton, whose show ‘Why won’t you have sex with me?’ sold out at Dublin Theatre Fringe recently, and Ian Lynam, author of the solo show ‘Portrait of the Autist as a Young Man’ and co-organiser of Ireland’s first all-autistic stand up comedy night.