John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)

I seriously doubt if there is much difference between the pressure applied to a young girl when she is aged 17 years and that applied when she is aged 18 or 19. Surely if we are introducing legislation it should protect all ages. I reiterate that all the statistics worldwide show that many women on the verge of becoming 18, just over that age, or even 19 years of age, are still being forced into having this procedure done. Significant analyses have been done by many organisations in the United Nations showing this.

The legislation is too vague. If by chance we find that FGM has been done to a woman aged more than 18 years, that she has been mutilated by force in this country or another but is present in this country, this legislation is so vague no prosecution could take place, based on my interpretation of the legislation. I ask the Minister to reconsider this carefully. We are speaking about vulnerable women between 17 and 19 years of age. There is not much difference between the pressure placed on girls of 17, 18 or 19 years of age.

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