Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 4 Feb 1998

Vol. 486 No. 4

Written Answers. - Departmental Policies.

Róisín Shortall

Question:

30 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the mechanisms, if any, used by his Department to ensure that policies and decisions are proofed to assess their impact on women; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2676/98]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

I am satisfied that men and women are treated equally in relation to access to all social welfare schemes and services. Considerable progress has been made in recent years in implementing the principle of equal treatment in the social welfare code with the result that all of the social assistance and insurance schemes operated by my Department are available equally to men and women.

All initiatives undertaken by my Department are gender-proofed as a matter of course in line with my Department's high level goal, as provided for in the strategic management initiative, of providing services in an efficient, effective, non-discriminatory and caring manner which are responsive to the needs of all our customers. In doing this, account is taken of gender research that is generally available such as the recommendations of the Second Commission on the Status of Women. My Department is represented on the Gender Equality Monitoring Committee established to oversee implementation of the recommendations of the Second Commission on the Status of Women and the Beijing Platform for Action.

The national anti-poverty strategy was launched in April 1997 with the main objective of tackling poverty and social exclusion. Several principles underlying this strategy are implicitly related to equality of access and addressing discrimination. These include ensuring equal access and encouraging participation by all and the reduction of inequalities and, in particular, addressing the gender dimensions of poverty.