Fiona O'Malley (Dún Laoghaire, Progressive Democrats)
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Question 283: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the legal safeguards in existence to ensure the protection of girls and women against female genital mutilation here; and if asylum seekers and immigrants are informed that it may be illegal under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. [14415/04]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Female genital mutilation is a harmful traditional practice that constitutes an assault causing serious harm. It is an offence under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 and the Garda Síochána may prosecute any person who performed it in Ireland.

The Reception and Integration Agency operates under the aegis of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. I am advised that it has disseminated an information and education booklet to health board liaison officers. The booklet entitled Understanding Female Genital Mutilation was published by Comhlámh. The agency meets the liaison officers on a regular basis. The booklet is intended to provide an overview of some of the issues surrounding the complexity of the practice, particularly for health professionals and others working in the field. It is also aimed at others interested in becoming, or who are already, involved in actions to raise awareness of the issues surrounding the practice and its elimination.

Treoir prepared an information pack on positive options in a crisis pregnancy. On 25 February Teoir hosted a seminar to finalising the pack and to target minority ethnic individuals and communities. An officer from the agency attended. The information pack and accompanying CD ROM includes information on female genital mutilation. They will be translated into Arabic, Chinese, French, Romanian and Russian.