Criminalising FGM

22nd April, 2010 Order of Business (edited version)         

I take the opportunity to make a point congratulating the Labour Party on its initiative yesterday.

An Cathaoirleach:   A question to the Leader.

Senator Rónán Mullen:   It is simply this. Yesterday the Labour Party brought forward an excellent Bill in this Chamber to criminalise female genital mutilation. It deserves great credit for bringing forward this issue because it is about a terrible violation of human dignity that all should condemn.

I welcome very much the fact the Government undertook to bring forward its own legislation. Would it not be nice if our political system could mature to the point where if one had excellent legislation coming forward from Private Members’——

Senator Joe O’Toole:      Hear, hear.

Senator Rónán Mullen:      ——instead of stating the Government will come back with something of its own in due course that there were other possibilities, for example, adjourning the Second Stage debate to give the Government a chance to address it properly? Then the Government could undertake, if it liked the Bill, that it would make further time available for the continuation of Second Stage and that the Bill would proceed as a Private Members’ Bill.

In other countries private members’ legislation has been brought forward. It is very successful.

It reinforces public confidence in the democratic system and in the functioning of the Legislature.

I ask the Leader to take that point on board.