asked the Taoiseach if he intends giving any member of his Government responsibility for women's affairs.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Ministerial Responsibility for Women's Affairs.
1.
The Deputy will be aware that the status of women is a matter which arises across the whole range of Government policy. For this reason, I have instructed the members of the Government to advance the position and status of women in all aspects of their responsibilities. The need for this practical action was made clear in this Government's pre-election Programme for National Recovery.
The Minister of State at my Department, Deputy Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, will be responsible for co-ordinating the activities of the Departments of Government in this area and for liaison with the Council for the Status of Women. The specific responsibilities of other Departments in relation to matters affecting the status of women are contained in a statement which I am circulating in the Official Report.
The Government intend also, with the agreement of the other parties in the Oireachtas, to re-establish as soon as possible the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Women's Rights as we see this as the best possible source of proposals for positive action, particularly as what is proposed will be brought forward on a non-party basis.
STATEMENT.
In addition to the responsibilities emerging from their general portfolios, Departments will have specific responsibility in the women's affairs area as follows:
|
Department |
Activity in the women's affairs area for which it will be responsible |
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|
Education |
— |
Elimination of sexism and sex stereotyping (including subject choice) in the education sector. |
|
Foreign Affairs |
— |
Co-ordination of Irish national reports and follow-up in relation to the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. |
|
Health |
— |
Promotion of women's health, with particular reference to the conclusions of Women's Health Week in October 1986; |
|
— |
Dissemination of information on cervical cancer and breast screening; |
|
|
— |
Child care legislation and child care facilities generally; |
|
|
— |
Financial support as appropriate for women's groups in the health area. |
|
|
Industry and Commerce |
— |
Promotion and monitoring of the “Women in Business Enterprise” campaign; |
|
— |
Liaison with industrial development agencies to ensure that their services are geared to the needs of women; |
|
|
— |
Review of advertising standards. |
|
|
Justice |
— |
Family Law Reform; |
|
— |
Family Mediation Service. |
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|
Labour |
— |
Promotion of equal opportunity programmes in State-sponsored bodies and in employment generally; |
|
— |
Review of the equality legislation in the employment field; |
|
|
— |
Action on all employment-related aspects of EC Medium Term Community Programme on Equal Opportunities for Women, 1986-1990; |
|
|
— |
Liaison with the International Labour Organisation, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the Council of Europe on matters relating to equal opportunity in employment; |
|
|
— |
Promotion by the State training agencies of opportunities for women, including training in non-traditional areas and special programmes for women. |
|
|
Finance |
— |
Development and implementation of policy on employment equality in the Civil Service and a centre of advice and information on equality issues and issues of particular concern to women; |
|
— |
Application and Monitoring of the “Equal Opportunity Policy and Guidelines for the Civil Service”; |
|
|
— |
Promotion of equal career opportunities for all throughout the Civil Service, without regard to sex or marital status. |
|
|
Taoiseach |
— |
Co-ordination of the activities of Government Departments in the women's affairs area; |
|
— |
Liaison with the Council for the Status of Women. |
First, I thank the Taoiseach for clarifying the matter for me. Would he agree that since in Opposition he appointed a spokesman for women's affairs, he obviously felt there was a necessity for one person to have specific overall priority for this area? As he has indicated that this responsibility will rest with the Minister of State, Deputy Geoghegan-Quinn, he is obviously agreeing that there is a need for one person to have overall responsibility. Is it his intention to continue in operation the women in business scheme which was run by his Department and which was initiated by the former Minister of State, Deputy Fennell? What is his view on the agenda for action programme which she published last year? Do the Government intend implementing the recommendations of that report in relation to the inequalities which still exist in Irish society so far as women are concerned?
First, the statement I am circulating shows that the promotion and monitoring of the women in business enterprise campaign will be the responsibility of the Minister for Industry and Commerce. This is perhaps the most appropriate ministry in this respect. The other programme is something we should discuss. I attach a lot of importance to the Joint Committee on Women's Rights. That Committee did excellent work in the previous Dáil and brought forward some excellent reports which could form the basis of an all-party approach in this area. In so far as the various matters are not the specific responsibility of any one Minister, I would like to see them dealt with initially by that committee as soon as we can set it up.
In light of the fact that the Taoiseach has redistributed the responsibilities which the Minister of State with responsibility for women's affairs previously held, how does he envisage precisely the Minister of State, Deputy Geoghegan-Quinn, co-ordinating policy relating to women?
As a Minister of State in my Department, Deputy Geoghegan-Quinn will have this type of responsibility in a number of areas. It would be a natural extension of her general role of co-ordination to ensure that in so far as the different Departments are concerned, they exercise their responsibilities actively in this area and also to ensure that there is co-ordination between what they are doing.
Can the Taoiseach tell us which member of the Government will be responsible for preparing legislation to be brought before the House to give effect to the UN Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women? That was previously looked after within his own Department.
I would have to have notice of that question. I would see this function as more appropriate to the Department of Justice and it is, perhaps, something which would have to be dealt with by an inter-departmental committee because, as I have already said, matters of that kind stretch right across the whole range of Government activities.
Deputy Harney, and this is the final supplementary.
I would like to ask the Taoiseach two supplementary questions. The Joint Committee on Women's Affairs have published a number of reports. Is it the Government's intention to bring before the House legislation to give effect to the recommendations which were made unanimously by the committee during the last session? Secondly, is it the case that family law reform will remain the responsibility of the Minister for Justice? If so, does he envisage various recommendations in the form of legislation coming before the House from the Minister for Justice?
The answer to the last question is yes. With regard to the reports of the previous committee, the answer is also yes. I hope we will be able to follow them up but not all of them require legislation. Many of them are in the administrative action area.