SEÁN KENNY TD WELCOMES LEGISLATION PROHIBITING FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION

Posted on June 15, 2011 12:12 PM   |   Permanent Link   

Dublin North East TD and member of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice & Defence, Seán Kenny, today welcomed the Government legislation prohibiting Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) that was passed today.

"The Criminal Justice (Female Genital Mutilation) Bill 2011 is most welcome", Deputy Kenny commented. "Legislation banning FGM is long overdue in Ireland - for example, legislation on FGM was passed in Britain as long ago as 1985. Senator Ivana Bacik introduced legislation on behalf of the Labour Party to the Seánad on the issue in April of 2010 which had support from all the political parties. This Government has now adopted the bill so at last that we will have specific legislation prohibiting FGM.", he added.

Deputy Kenny went on to say that international research shows the enormous dangers to the health of women and girls represented by the barbaric practice of female genital mutilation. "The NGO Akidwa estimates that over 3,000 women living in Ireland have undergone FGM so this is a pressing issue, particularly for migrant women and girls and their families.", he said.

"I am delighted that Ireland will now have legislation specifically prohibiting the practice and ensuring that anyone resident in Ireland who takes a girl abroad to have FGM performed there will now be subject to prosecution in Ireland.", he concluded.