Vol. 476 No. 3
185 Ms Keogh asked the Minister for the Marine the mechanisms used by his Department to ensure that policies, programmes and decisions are proofed to assess their impact on women; the training available to those officials responsible for gender proofing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7006/97]
The policies and programmes of the Department of the Marine apply equally to men and women and the Department is committed, as a core value, to a policy of equal treatment for men and women.
While the Department does not have a formal gender proofing system, the ethos of the Department is such that the Department would not advance proposals which were prejudicial to either gender.
186 Ms Keogh asked the Minister for the Marine the initiatives, if any, taken by his Department in 1995 and 1996 which were targeted at women; the budget allocated to each initiative; the actual amount spent on each; the budget for his Department in each of the years 1995 and 1996; and the amount of that budget exclusive of direct staffing and overhead costs. [7022/97]
Initiatives taken by the Department of the Marine are targeted at the Department's clients regardless of gender. No specific initiative has been targeted at either men or women and I do not think that such would have been appropriate given the type of initiatives in question.
The budgetary information in relation to the years in question is as follows (this is the information as published in the relevant Books of Estimates):
1995, total budget £50.412 million of which direct — i.e., Administrative Budget — staffing and overhead costs came to £9.937 million;
1996, total budget £54.25 million of which direct — i.e., Administrative Budget — staffing and overhead costs came to £10.305 million.
