4.— (1) A person is guilty of an offence if the person does or attempts to do an act of female genital mutilation in a place other than the State, but only if it is done or attempted to be done—

(a) on board an Irish ship within the meaning of section 9 of the Mercantile Marine Act 1955,

(b) on an aircraft registered in the State, or

(c) by a person who is a citizen of Ireland or is ordinarily resident in the State, and would constitute an offence in the place in which it is done.

(2) A person is not guilty of an offence under subsection (1) if—

(a) the act concerned is a surgical operation performed, by a person who is duly qualified to perform surgical operations under the law of the place where the act is done, or has been professionally trained to perform surgical operations, on the girl or woman concerned, which is necessary for the protection of her physical or mental health,

(b) the act concerned is a surgical operation performed, by a person performing functions corresponding to those of a midwife or a registered medical practitioner, on the girl or woman concerned when she is in any stage of labour, or has just given birth, for purposes connected with the labour or birth,

(c) the person is the girl or woman on whom the act of female genital mutilation is done, or

(d) the act concerned is done to a woman who is not less than 18 years of age and there is no resultant permanent bodily harm.

(3) For the avoidance of doubt, it is hereby declared that it shall not be a defence to proceedings for an offence under this section for the accused person to show that he or she believed that the act concerned was consented to by the girl concerned or her parents or guardian, or the woman concerned, as the case may be, or required or permitted for customary or ritual reasons.

(4) For the purposes of proceedings for an offence under this section, a person shall be deemed to be ordinarily resident in the State if he or she has had his or her principal residence within the State for the period of 12 months immediately preceding the alleged commission of the offence.

(5) Proceedings for an offence under this section may be taken in any place in the State and the offence may for all incidental purposes be treated as having been committed in that place.