While I am greatly saddened that such services are necessary at all, I welcome the opening this evening of Ireland’s first FGM, female genital mutilation, clinic at the Irish Family Planning Association’s clinic on Cathal Brugha Street. The clinic will provide treatment to an estimated 4,000 women who have suffered FGM in or outside Ireland. FGM, as we know, is an abhorrent practice and a grave violation of women’s and girls’ human rights. It is classic example of gender-based violence, perpetrated against women and girls all over the world.

Another glaring and incomprehensible incident of gender-based violence is the recent mass abduction of 234 Nigerian schoolgirls by the Islamic extremist group, Boko Haram. According to Time, the girls are being sold into forced child marriages, a modern form of slavery and an egregious breach of international law. I note the call to action of Walk Free, an online movement fighting to end modern slavery which is urging the Nigerian Government to act immediately on intelligence received by credible local services sources and to work with neighbouring countries, Cameroon and Chad, as well as other nations offering assistance to mount an effective search for these girls and improve the protection of schools in north-east Nigeria in order that children can receive an education without risk of kidnapping, forced marriages or other abuses. I call on the Government to exert all of its influence at international level to ensure swift action is taken by the Nigerian Government. We have not heard much about this on the news, but if this many Irish schoolchildren were taken, there would be uproar.

Last week it was announced by a US company that it planned to return to Ireland on 20 September to hold a child beauty pageant. We had an excellent debate on 5 March condemning child beauty pageants and the wider question of the importance of protecting childhood. The Government supported my motion during that debate. We also asked the Dáil to pass a similar motion. Given the recent announcement by this US company that it wishes to return to Ireland, will the Leader call on the Dáil to have a similar debate in order that we send a clear message to the company that it is not welcome here? We have many brilliant activities for children and young people in Ireland and child beauty pageants are not among them. I express my thanks to the Irish Hotels Federation which has continued to support the motion passed in the House and our work and it also condemns child beauty pageants.