A Garda initiative aimed at raising awareness around the illegal practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) is under way at Kerry Airport.
It follows a similar multi-agency educational campaign run at Dublin Airport over the October bank holiday weekend.
Operation Limelight aims to highlight the very serious risks and complications to the long-term health of women and girls who are subjected to FGM.
Sergeant Lynda Brosnan, of the Protective Service Unit at Tralee Garda Station, says they will be providing information to passengers travelling to and from Kerry Airport explaining what FGM is, outlining the law in Ireland, and informing people what they can do if they are worried that a girl may be at risk of FGM.
The practice is an offence here.
It is also an offence to take a child out of the country to perform the procedure which involves removing all or part of a girl's external genital organs.
Sgt Brosnan says the campaign also aims to increase the knowledge of FGM in the general community especially among medical professionals, teachers and others working with young people.
Information sessions for airport staff will also be held today by members of the Garda National Protective Services Bureau.
FGM is mostly performed on girls between birth and the age of 15 years and is performed for cultural and social reasons.
It is estimated that some 10,000 women and girls in Ireland could be affected by FGM.
Dr Caroline Munyi of AkiDwa, the Migrant Women's Network commended the initiative.
"FMG is a harmful cultural practice. No-one should have the excuse that they didn't know this was illegal," she said.
"We really welcome the work of the gardaí focusing on this issue and going to regional airports to raise awareness, and about the law."
She welcomed the timing of the campaign which is to run over the Christmas holidays saying people often use school holiday times to travel abroad for the purpose of FGM.
Free specialised medical and psychological care for women and girls who have experienced FGM is available at the Irish Family Planning Association.
