Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
290. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Finance the action his Department has taken to honour the Programme for Government pledge to ensure that Government Departments and public bodies take positive steps, including the use of correct pronouns and, where possible, making improvements on official forms, to assist non-binary people. [35828/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 'Civil Service Renewal Strategy 2030' commits to nurturing a workforce for the future by bringing equality and inclusivity to the fore of its organisational design. By placing a focus on Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), the Department is committed to recognising and supporting all employees’ gender identity and gender expression to further develop a positive, accepting and supportive work environment where every employee is treated with dignity and respect.
As a central Department with a policy focused remit, we do not engage directly with the public in respect of any official forms that identify gender, nonetheless we are cognisant of the need to respect gender identity.
We have taken positive steps in this regard by having an active PRIDE LGBT+ network in the Department and have provided access for staff to attend an interactive Pronouns Workshop in June 2022 which focused on how to respect a colleagues gender identity. Other initiatives to include awareness of gender identity consist of a series of webinars hosted in June 2023 by OneLearning regarding PRIDE month and information leaflets entitled “The ABCs of LGBT+” provided to all staff members which focused on terminologies of gender provided by the Department of Finance and Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform LGBT+ Staff Network.
Another positive step is the upcoming launch of the Department's Gender Equity Network in September. The ambition is for the Department to be one where everyone can be represented, fully contribute and progress, irrespective of gender. There will be quarterly network events going forward.
