Proinsias De Rossa
Question:7 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Taoiseach if he will consider the appointment of a Minister of State with sole responsibility for women's affairs; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Ministerial Responsibility for Women's Affairs.
I consider that the advancement of the status of women in our society is best achieved by assigning that responsibility, as I have done, to each Minister is his or her functional area.
I have, in addition, assigned responsibility for monitoring and co-ordinating the implementation of equality between women and men in all areas of Government policy to the Minister of State at my Department, Deputy Máire Geoghegan-Quinn.
The Government's positive commitment in this area is evident from the major initiative of establishing the Second Commission on the Status of Women with its mandate to make farreaching recommendations to the Government on the means to enable women to participate on equal terms and conditions in the economic, social, political and cultural life of our society, with special attention to the needs of women in the home.
An improvement in the situation of women is also an important focus in the Programme for Economic and Social Progress which the Government have agreed with the social partners through measures such as special provisions for increases for the low paid, most of whom are women; a commitment to substantially raise recruitment age limits throughout the public service; a commitment to increase FÁS targets for the training of women in non-traditional occupations; and a commitment to provide créche facilities at training centres.
All these initiatives, and I emphasise that they are merely a set of examples not a complete list, are specifically intended to bring about equal opportunities for Irish women.
I want, finally, to affirm clearly that the Government listen sympathetically to the expressed concerns of women and respond positively to them. My Department have this year substantially increased the level of funding of the Council for the Status of Women. The recently enacted legislation on rape was drafted very much taking into account the concerns of the people who assist rape victims, and the planned legislation on part-time workers has been widely welcomed by women as bringing protection to this very vulnerable category of society.
Given that the Minister of State, Deputy Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, has heavy responsibilities in regard to European Affairs in addition to her role of co-ordinating and monitoring what other Departments are doing, may I ask the Taoiseach what structures exist to carry out these functions of monitoring and co-ordinating? If any reports are received by his Department as a result of this monitoring and co-ordinating, what kind of follow through is maintained in relation to it? In 1987 the Taoiseach outlined the areas relating to women for which each Department was responsible. May I ask him if he intends to place a report before the Dáil at any time arising from Minister Geoghegan-Quinn's functions?
The position is that the Minister of State has a constant on-going preoccupation with this area. She has the full support of the Taoiseach and his Department in her monitoring and co-ordinating role. I can assure the Deputy that the Minister of State, Deputy Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, is specifically active in this area and receives the full co-operatio of her colleagues whose individual function it is to proceed with progress in their different areas of responsibility. I hope the Deputy might be prepared to agree that the system is working well and that we have achieved very considerable progress since 1987 in this whole area.
I am willing to agree that progress has been made, obviuosly not as much as any of us would wish, but what is not clear is that this progress is being made as a result of the monitoring and co-ordination role of the Minister of State. If that is the case — I prefer to take the Taoiseach's assurance on the matter — it is only fair to that Minister that the good work she is doing is made known. One way of doing that would be to place a report before the House or in the Library on the various functions or departmental inquiries she has made of her colleagues in relation to the various matters for which they are responsible.
We can always consider that, but I would not agree we should publish the detailed contacts, conversations and so on the Minister of State would have with her Government colleagues. I can assure the Deputy it is a persistent on-going process. I would also suggest to the Deputy that the Minister of State, other Ministers and myself report publicly from time to time in this House and elsewhere on the progress being made. The Deputy, as a Member of the House, is well aware of the legislative progress being made. If there is some further report mechanism that might be brought forward I will consider it, but I believe what is happening in the different areas is well publicised and well known.
Will the Taoiseach confirm that there are no civil servants in his Department with responsibility for and working directly to the Minister of State in this area of women's affairs?
No, that is not so. To give an off-the-cuff instance, the secretary of the Second Commission on the Status of Women is in my Department.
In the co-ordinating role the Taoiseach says the Minister of State has in relation to legislation, will the Taoiseach acknowledge that in 1987 legislation was promised particularly to assist women in the home, to provide for automatic joint ownership of the family home? Will he acknowledge that that legislation was again promised when the Fine Gael Bill on judicial separation was passing through this House? Will the Taoiseach indicate in 1991 when such legislation will be brought forward? Will he agree that until such time as there is automatic joint ownership of the family home many thousands of women are disadvantaged in the context of the family home and their ownership rights in it?
Surely that is worthy of a separate question.
That is going outside the ambit of the question, but I am sure the Deputy will accept that this is an on-going process which began with the Succession Act. There are two pieces of legislation dealing specifically with the family home and there is further legislation in the pipeline. I cannot give the Deputy a specific date for the introduction of that legislation but it is being pursued.
Deputy Brendan Howlin.
Are we likely to see the legislation this year? It has been pursued for four years.
Sorry, Deputy Howlin has been called.
Arising from the Taoiseach's response to that question, and to the initial question on the monitoring of legislation, perhaps the Taoiseach will avail of this opportunity to give an outline of amending legislation in the area of women's rights being considered by the Government?
Not now, but I will be availing of an opportunity very shortly to do precisely that.