Vol. 483 No. 6
440 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the current position of the recommendations of the report of the Task Force on Violence against Women regarding responsibilities of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21573/97]
Responsibility for overseeing the implementation of the recommendations of the Task Force on Violence Against Women has only recently been assigned to my Department. Work has commenced on putting the necessary structures in place. A national steering committee is currently being established and will comprise representatives from the relevant Government Departments, (Education and Science, Health and Children, Environment and Local Government, Social, Community and Family Affairs, and Justice Equality and Law Reform), and also representatives from the relevant State agencies and non-governmental organisations working in this area.
An interdepartmental committee, which will run in parallel with the national steering committee, comprising officials from the relevant Departments, was established to look at the recommendations and advice on their implementation and where possible identify timescales for same. The interdepartmental committee held its first meeting on 27 November and the next meeting is scheduled for 16 December.
My colleague, Minister of State Deputy Mary Wallace, who was assigned the task of overseeing the implementation of the recommendations and who is the chairperson of the committees, will hold the first meeting of the national steering committee on 18 December 1997.
