Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 74: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that according to UNICEF 8,000 young girls every day are subject to female genital mutilation; the action she will take to ensure this practice is not carried out here; if she will strengthen the law in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14307/09]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 103: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if a study has been done or any attempt made to quantify the number of women in this State who have undergone the practice of female genital mutilation prior to coming here or since being here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14308/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 74 and 103 together.

In 2008 the Women's Health Council published a report on Female Genital Mutilation. The Council's research found no evidence that Female Genital Mutilation is being carried out in Ireland among migrant ethnic communities now living here.

A National Action Plan to Address Female Genital Mutilation, drawn up by non-governmental organisations and statutory agencies including the HSE, was launched on 25th November 2008. The Report indicated that there are 2,585 women living in Ireland who have undergone Female Genital Mutilation. I understand that since then the HSE has had a number of meetings with AkiDwa, the African and Migrant Women's Health Network in Ireland with a view to establishing a National Working Group to implement the recommendations of the National Action Plan, including the recommendation that a uniform data collection system be established to record incidence/prevalence of FGM in Ireland.

My Department is currently working with the National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (COSC) and other relevant agencies in the preparation of a National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence. The Strategy will set out the general vision, objectives and actions to tackle these issues. Female Genital Mutilation will be among the gender-based violence issues which the Strategy will address.

Legal advice which I obtained in 2004 strongly indicated that Female Genital Mutilation would constitute an offence under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997.

In September 2006, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in its concluding observations on Ireland's second period report urged Ireland to continue its efforts to end the practice of Female Genital Mutilation through, inter alia, prohibiting it by law. I am currently examining the question of introducing specific legislation to ban the practice in the content of the UNCRC's recommendations.