Vol. 483 No. 6
99 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when it is planned to implement the recommendations of the report of the task force on violence against women in view of the fact that it is over a year since the report was published and 1998 is the European Year Against Violence Against Women. [21085/97]
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 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 advise on their implementation and where possible identify timescales for same. The inter-departmental committee held its first meeting on 27 November and the next meeting is scheduled for 16 December.
My colleague, Minister of State 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.
Each Department is responsible for the implementation of the recommendations relevant to its own specific area. The recommendations under my Department's remit are currently being examined.
It is intended to produce progress reports on a periodic basis to be decided by the national steering committee.
In relation to the EU year against violence against women, I would advise the Deputy that no decision has yet been taken at EU level to designate 1998 as the European year against violence against women.
