Geraldine Feeney (Fianna Fail)

Truly the Bill is a great piece of work. I do not believe there is any opposition to it on any side of the House and I am glad our amendment has been amended to accommodate all sides such that there will not be a fall-out or need for a vote.

I commend my colleague, Senator Deary, for wanting to contribute to the debate on behalf of the Green Party. This is an issue that should not be left to women alone to deal with. It is a worldwide, Continent-wide problem and should be dealt with by both men and women. FGM is practised because of men. It is a case of men disempowering women and controlling them. It is a case of women not having a right to stand up for themselves. It is interesting that the United Nations strongly links FGM with poverty in the countries where it is practised. Everything that has been said by Senator Bacik is so right. It is time that Ireland joined its nearest neighbours in England and Scotland. The UK's 1985 legislation was amended in 2003 to alter the penalty from five to 14 years. The Scottish Government in 2005 implemented the 2005 UK Act. It is not untimely that we should enter modern western society in asking for this.

It is very important that we, as western feminists and western society, are not being seen to push our ideas on African and Middle Eastern women who have a very strong loyalty and tradition in their tribes and customs. It is so important we are not being seen to do that because in the event, we can disempower them by trying to help. It is up to the women in the countries affected by FGM to be able to empower themselves. This can be done through education.

I suggest to the Minister of State that when we are engaging with non-governmental organisations, we should really be looking at particular programmes. Everyone present has visited countries where Irish Aid has programmes. We should be looking at programmes to encourage and educate women in the countries where they are being attacked by FGM. That is what it is - the most barbaric attack on women and young children.

There are 10,000 women living in Ireland from countries that still practise FGM. Senator Bacik is right that we cannot wait any longer. I am glad we are now going to move the heads of a Bill within three months and we shall be back in the House discussing the issue. I hope we will put it to the Leader on the Order of Business tomorrow to give us a date in October, after the summer recess, on which to debate and agree Second Stage of this Bill.

I say that because this is more than a matter of tribal cultural norms. It is not in any religion. It is the practice in neither the Islamic or Christian religion. There is nothing in the Koran to support FGM. That is another reason it has to be eliminated. I was delighted to see the work that Senator Bacik put into this. Obviously, she kept a close eye on legislation that has been carried out elsewhere. I for one, will be keeping a close eye on the Leader. I will be asking him to put this first on the agenda next October.

I remind the House of the reasons FGM is so barbaric. When one reads the explanatory memorandum, one sees the three types of FGM that may be carried out, the third being the most barbaric. That is what makes me say this is a barbaric act instigated by men. It may not be carried out by men, however, because in my research I found that it was being done in many instances by women on other women. None the less, it is instigated by men. How more sickening is it for a woman than to have her entire clitoris removed along with the adjacent labia? Then she is stitched up and sometimes a bed of thorns is placed there as well. She gets married and is cut again for her husband to have his wedding night. Every other time sexual intercourse takes place, the woman has to be surgically opened again. It is sickening to the core that this should be allowed anywhere, but yet I, as a western woman, would not wish to impose any more hardship on women that are living with this, and I therefore say we should look at the bigger picture.

I am sorry I have not time to talk about the national action plan, but Senator Bacik has outlined it already. We should be looking at areas where we can empower African and Middle Eastern women and other women from all over the world where FGM is being practised. Their escape and empowerment has to be through education. I hope to be able to say in the House some day: "Is it not great that we have rid the world of FGM?"