Vol. 448 No. 3
22 Ms Keogh asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform the reason equality was omitted from the programme, A Government of Renewal; if he intends to implement all of the elements included in the equality programme in the Programme for a Partnership Government, 1993 to 1997, or the Programme for Competitiveness and Work, 1994 to 1999; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2011/95]
I welcome Deputy Keogh's question as it affords me an opportunity to put on record in the House that this Government is firmly committed to the equality agenda of my Department contained in the last Programme for Government and indeed to the range of equality commitments enshrined in the Programme for Competitiveness and Work.
In fact A Government of Renewal adds to the existing equality agenda providing as it does commitments to pay social welfare equality payments and build on the work of the Commission on the Status of People with Disability.
In addressing the National Economic and Social Forum on Wednesday last, 25 January, I outlined in some detail the Government's manifesto for equality on which I will be focusing for the remaining lifetime of this Dáil.
The measures which I propose to bring forward in the short to medium term would include co-ordinated follow-up to the report on the Second Commission on the Status of Women; the introduction of a new broad ranging employment equality Bill and an equal status Bill, which will prohibit discrimination on a wide range of grounds; the fullest implementation of the requirement of gender balance on State boards; funding for family counselling and mediation services, and civil legal aid in conjunction with a major family law reform programme, culminating in a divorce referendum; implementing measures on childcare, and genderproofing of CSF expenditure; support and resources for the Task Force on the Travelling Community and action on foot of its report, and steps to facilitate the establishment of the Council for the Status of People with Disabilities, and ongoing support to the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities.
In addition, my Department will be taking action arising from the Programme for Competitiveness and Work on a range of measures including promotion of the adoption of equal opportunities policies and programmes and positive action measures for women throughout the public sector; the monitoring and review of the code of practice on sexual harassment in consultation with the Employment Equality Agency; consideration, in consultation with the social partners, of the question of using the processes of public funding and the award of contracts to promote equal opportunities; the introduction of child care measures envisaged under the CSF and the development of a programme to implement measures arising out of the report of the working group on child care for working parents.
The work of my Department on all these issues is being progressed and a number of measures have already been put into effect. As recently as yesterday, I signed the commencement order and regulations which brought the Maternity Protection Act, 1994 into effect. Later today I will introduce the Second Stage debate on the Adoptive Leave Bill in this House. Recent months have also seen progress with the publication of the code of practice on measures to protect the dignity of women and men at work and the launch of a major pilot scheme on child care for disadvantaged areas by my Department.
Does the Minister not consider it outrageous that the subject of equality was omitted from the Programme for Government? Does he not agree that the way to show the Government is firmly committed to equality measures is to include the programme on equality in the agreement between the partners in Government? Surely the combined wisdom of Fine Gael, Labour and Democratic Left should have been able to take account of the importance of such provisions. As a result of this omission, is the Minister not disappointed by the commitment of his colleagues in Government? I received a copy of the Minister's speech to the National Economic and Social Forum which outlines a number of the measures he considers worthy and which I agree are necessary. Nevertheless, on commitment to equality, does he not consider that those should be enshrined in the agreement drawn up by the Government parties?
I am sure most people would agree that the test of the success of a policy is the extent to which it is implemented and not its mere inclusion in a document. The reason for the exclusion of equality from the document is regrettable and was explained by the Taoiseach earlier this afternoon. When I addressed the National Economic and Social Forum I enunciated at length the equality programmes to which the Government and I are fully committed. We will be content to be judged on what we produce. Frequently, in the past programmes have not been fulfilled or brought to fruition. It is my intention while I am Minister for Equality and Law Reform and a member of the Government to implement those measurements which I enunciated in detail. In time we will be judged on our results rather than on our promises.
Did the Taoiseach state in the House that we should measure the progress of this Government against the agreement drawn up? It is difficult to measure progress when there is nothing with which to compare it. I accept the bona fides of the Minister and the commitment given in his speech last Wednesday but against what are we to measure progress? Are we to measure it against every speech every Minister delivers in the country?
My progress and success in this Ministry will, no doubt, be measured against the detailed policy provision of a key note speech delivered to the National Economic and Social Forum on Wednesday, 25 January 1995. I will be happy to have the results of the equality issues of this Department and this Government measured against that speech in which I deliberately set out to remedy the unfortunate omission from the programme of the equality intentions of the Government.
