38 people were stopped and spoken to by gardaí last week on suspicion of having bought sex.
From 16-21 September, officers took part in an operation covering rural and urban areas in nine Garda divisions - Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) North, DMR East, DMR South Central, DMR West, Kilkenny/Carlow, Cork City, Kerry, Galway, and Donegal.
The operation was aimed at targeting demand for prostitution and enforcing recent legislation which criminalises the purchase of sexual services.
The five 'days of action' were coordinated by the ‘Operation Quest’ team at the Garda National Protective Services Bureau, and coincided with a European week of action targeting sexual exploitation.
In a statement, gardaí said: "During the course of this intelligence led operation, 38 individuals where stopped and spoken to by members of An Garda Síochána, arising from suspicion of having purchased sexual services from an individual involved in prostitution.
"A number of files will now be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions, with a view to establishing if any criminal prosecution should be initiated."
The force said it is the second such national operation this year, with further ones planned.
Last week's operation comes in the wake of the introduction of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017.
The legislation, which criminalises the purchase of sex, came into effect in March 2017 following years of campaigning.
It criminalises sex-buyers, while decriminalising individuals who sell sex.
In January, a man was convicted and fined for paying women for sex - the first such conviction under the new laws.
