John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)

The Minister is probably aware that over a three year period the number of women affected by FGM in Ireland rose from 2,585 to a staggering 3,170 and the figure continues to increase. The UN international day of zero tolerance to female genital mutilation was two weeks ago and Amnesty International and its Irish section raised questions concerning the exemption of women over 18 years of age. Its legal counsel has said the section in question is problematic and on that basis, I ask the Minister to reconsider.

My problem is that the section states that a person is not guilty of an offence if the act concerned is done to a woman who is not less than 18 years of age and there is no resultant permanent bodily harm. Are we considering the potential psychological and emotional harm which apparently - I have spoken to members of the community - affects many women later in life even though there is no physical bodily harm?

Amnesty International, of which I am a member, has put much effort and resources into dealing with this problem worldwide. It has found that a high percentage of women over 18 years of age are still forced to have this procedure. They do not have free will even though they are over 18 years of age. A huge proportion of them suffer deep psychological scars in later years as a result of this procedure. Like Deputy Ó Caoláin, I ask the Minister to reconsider the age limit of 18 years of age.

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