Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 105: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will initiate legislation to protect against the practice of female genital mutilation here and to protect against children being removed from here to have the procedure carried out overseas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23974/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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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. I am not aware of any evidence that female genital mutilation is being carried out in Ireland among ethnic communities living here.

The question of introducing specific legislation to ban female genital mutilation remains under review.