Niamh Smyth
Question:580. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Justice the progress made on the equality objectives of her Department specifically in relation to women. [11078/22]
View answerTuesday, 1 March 2022
Questions (580)
Written answers
My Department is strongly committed to equality of opportunity in all its employment practices. As an employer, the Department is guided by the Civil Service Diversity Policy and its obligations under equality legislation, particularly the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015, which outlaw discrimination in a wide range of employment and employment-related areas, including recruitment and promotion; equal pay; working conditions; learning opportunities; dismissal and harassment including sexual harassment.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department's Gender Pay Gap Report will be launched next Tuesday, March 8, at a special staff event to mark International Women's Day 2022.
As the Deputy will be aware, Section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 places a positive duty on public sector bodies to have regard for the need to eliminate discrimination, promote equality, and protect the human rights of employees, customers, service users and everyone affected by their policies and plans. This is known as our ‘Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty’. My Department established a dedicated Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Public Sector Duty Committee to oversee our adherence to the public sector duty and to devise, oversee and promote equality, diversity and inclusion for my Department.
Through its day to day work, my Department continues to value and promote equality and human rights, whether in delivering key public services, developing policy and legislation in an inclusive human rights compliant manner, or in doing our work in an efficient, fair manner with integrity and respect for human dignity.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department’s first Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy is due to be published this month and will be central to our mission of working for a safe, fair, inclusive Ireland, and to fulfilling our public sector duty obligations.
The development of the Strategy involved broad consultation with our internal stakeholders as well as engagement with external stakeholders with an expertise in human rights and equality issues. The objectives of our EDI Strategy will focus on: achieving better policy outcomes and improving the accessibility and quality of our services; supporting the development of a skilled and diverse workforce and building and embedding a workplace culture which facilitates & encourages contributions from all.
My Department is leading the development across Government of the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV), with valued input from victims and survivors as well as those working in the frontline. The new Strategy recognises that while both men and women can be victims/survivors, women and girls are affected disproportionately as a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between men and women. As a result, there is an emphasis within the Strategy on meeting the needs of women and girls.
The Strategy will be underpinned by clear actions, timelines, effective governance and accountability mechanisms. It will be resourced as it should be, and its goal is clear: zero tolerance in Irish society for domestic, sexual and gender based violence.
As the Deputy may be aware, I intend to publish a Bill before Easter which will create new criminal offences for stalking and for non-fatal strangulation. A new Hate Crime Bill which will introduce new, specific aggravated offences with enhanced penalties for crimes motivated by prejudice against certain characteristics, including gender, will be published in the summer. This will mean that certain types of crimes can be prosecuted as hate crimes where they are motivated by misogyny.
I am continuing to drive forward the implementation of Supporting a Victim’s Journey, which is a detailed action plan for delivering all of the 52 recommendations made in the O’Malley report. This will make our criminal justice system one that better protects and supports vulnerable victims. To date, a number of key actions have been delivered, including:
- The introduction of Preliminary trial hearings;
- Work to advance specialist training for legal professionals and all who will come into contact with a victim is underway;
- The nationwide rollout of Divisional Protective Services Units and the establishment of a new sexual offences unit in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions;
- A number of legislative reforms are also being advanced, and,
- Increased funding has been provided to frontline service providers to address the gaps in service provision identified on foot of a review undertaken.
I am pleased with the progress made to date in delivering on Supporting a Victim’s Journey, and will continue to prioritise this vital work.