Mary Wallace
Ceist:80 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform the action, if any, undertaken as a result of the NESF report on equality proofing issues. [23849/96]
Written Answers. - Equality Report.
I welcome the report of the NESF on equality proofing issues as a valuable contribution to policy making in the areas covered. As decided by the Government, I have taken the report into consideration in the context of my legislative programme and will continue to do so.
The recommendations of the NESF report No. 10 on equality proofing issues have been examined in the context of the Employment Equality Bill, 1996. A number of amendments to the Bill introduced on Committee Stage and under consideration for Report Stage respond to issues raised by the NESF in its report and subsequently in the forum's recently published opinion on the Bill. Consideration is also being given to the report's recommendations on equal status legislation. I hope that the Equal Status Bill can be finalished and published as soon as possible. The Deputy will appreciate that, until this happens, its precise contents cannot be divulged.
The Irish Presidency of the EU, in conjunction with the EU Commission, held a seminar on 7 and 8 October on mechanisms for mainstreaming. This afforded a valuable opportunity to examine concrete strategies in use at EU level and in the various member states.
With regard to the representation of women on State boards, the most recent data shows that women constitute 34.2 per cent of the Government/ ministerial nominees and 25.5 per cent of total membership of State boards. These figures have increased since 1992 from 17 per cent and 15 per cent respectively. The situation is kept under review and figures are obtained on a quarterly basis. The aim is to reach 40 per cent gender balance.
The Second Commission on the Status of Women presented its report to the Taoiseach in February, 1993. The report contained 211 recommendations covering issues on the Constitution and law, health, education, employment and training, women in decision making, rural women, women in the home, childcare and culture and sport. A monitoring committee was subsequently established by me and has, to date, published two progress reports on the implementation of the recommendations. The second progress report indicates that almost 80 per cent of the recommendations have been acted upon with 47 per cent implemented in full. The monitoring committee will continue to monitor and report on the implementation of the recommendations.
The National Women's Council of Ireland, formerly the Council for the Status of Women, was established following the publication of the report of the First Commission on the Status of Women in 1972. It is the national umbrella organisation representing over 130 women's organisations at national, regional and local levels. The Department of Equality and Law Reform funds the council. The Commission on the Status of Women recommended doubling of the council's grant from £114,000 in 1992. This year the council received £170,000 which amounts to an increase of 21.4 per cent over the 1995 allocation and an increase of 49 per cent on the 1992 provision.
A report on Ireland's position in relation to implementation of the platform for action agreed at Beijing is being prepared by my Department and should be available within the next two weeks. A national mechanism to oversee implementation of the platform for action is being established by the Department.
The implementation of the report of the Task Force on the Travelling Community was considered by the Government and a range of actions decided. Relevant Departments, in particular the Departments of the Environment, Health and Education, are advancing the implementation of their respective elements of the Government strategy in response to the report of the task force. The Employment Equality Bill and the proposed Equal Status Bill will, of course, prohibit discrimination on grounds of membership of the travelling community.
The report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities endorses the NESF recommendations on equality proofing with regard to people with disabilities. The commission believes that there is an urgent need for the Government to adopt a policy of "disability-proofing" legislation and any public policy initiatives. It recommends that the Minister for Equality and Law Reform should bring proposals to Government within six months aimed at securing agreement to adopting a policy on disability proofing.
This recommendation will be considered in the context of the work of the inter-departmental task force which will be established to prepare the Government's plan of action arising from the report as well as that of the monitoring committee which will be set up to monitor the implementation of the commission's recommendations.