James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

During the course of my Second Stage speech, I mentioned that my officials were reviewing the Bill to strengthen provisions in relation to the victim. I now propose to make an amendment to explicitly state that victim impact evidence provisions would apply to offences set out in this Bill in accordance with the Criminal Justice Act 1993. This provision would allow a victim of a FGM offence or, in certain cases, a representative for her to make an oral statement, commonly called a victim impact statement, at a sentencing hearing. This statement allows the court to hear what impact the offence has had on the victim. This amendment is in line with current provisions concerning other serious crimes against the person.