Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

I wholeheartedly welcome the Bill. It is ten years since my former party colleague, Liz McManus, introduced a Private Member's FGM Bill in the House. Unfortunately, the Government of the day refused to accept it. Subsequently, similar legislation was introduced by Senator Ivana Bacik in the Upper House but that was also declined. Numerous requests were made of recent Governments but, in the dying days of the previous Dáil, the then Government finally produced the legislation on 18 January 2011 when it was obvious there was not a hope in hell of getting the legislation through the House. This was a cynical exercise in politics and it militated against the protection of girls and women living in Ireland from mutilation of their bodies and serious injury to their health. For an entire decade, these vulnerable young people were without the protection of domestic law by irresponsible and uncaring Governments, despite numerous requests from all sides of the House to introduce the necessary legislation.

Thankfully, the Government, in the first few months of its existence, introduced the Bill in the Seanad where it was passed and, hopefully, we will finally pass it in this House before the summer recess. The practice of FGM, as previous speakers said, is widespread. More than 3,000 women living in Ireland have undergone FGM while more than 500,000 women and girls living in Europe and in excess of 100 million women and girls in countries all over the world have also undergone FGM. It is a serious worldwide problem. It is a horrific, brutal attack on the bodily integrity and the human rights of women, which cannot be justified on religious or moral grounds because it is wrong, dangerous and inhumane.

Last autumn when the United Youth of Ireland was organising its annual conference, Sheikh Shaheed, the Muslim president of Ireland, stated that FGM had no place in any religion and, particularly, in Islam, and that parents must be responsible for their daughters' bodily integrity.

In particular, I congratulate a young Somali woman, Ifrah Ahmed, who suffered FGM in her country, and who is with us today in the Visitors Gallery. She has led the campaign to eradicate the practice in this country once and for all. She has campaigned courageously despite hostility and opposition from many people in her community. She is responsible for the introduction of the legislation, which will criminalise the practice of female genital mutilation in this country. She must be acknowledged for that. I also acknowledge the good work that has been done by other organisations, particularly Amnesty International. Many of the organisations have been mentioned already which have campaigned strongly for some time against FGM.

It is important that FGM is criminalised and carries a substantial penalty - a maximum of 14 years imprisonment. Rightly, the consent of the girl or woman herself or her parents or guardians or the assertion that FGM is a custom or ritual cannot be permitted as a defence by anyone. Equally, it is important that a woman or girl may not be taken from the State for the purpose of performing FGM on her. Once the Bill is enacted, aiding, abetting, counselling, attempting or procuring the commission of FGM are automatically crimes under existing Irish law.

Now that the legislation is in place the next step is to ensure adequate, widespread awareness of it and the fact that the State roundly condemns, forbids and criminalises FGM as a practice. That must be done among the immigrant and migrant population in this country. There is a need to enforce the law. There is not much sense in law being on the books if it is not strongly enforced. That will be the responsibility of the police authority.

I referred to the event I attended early this year, the fashion show, dance and conference. It was an amazing event in the Gresham Hotel at which Dr. Shaheed spoke. I spoke at the conference and on that occasion I stated that next week's event would be a celebration of the passage of the legislation. That will now be the case.

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