Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
349. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform 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. [35834/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department’s equality and diversity goals are articulated in a number of key strategies and initiatives to which the Department has committed, including the Programme for Government.
An example of where this commitment is detailed is in the Civil Service Renewal Strategy 2030, which acknowledges that Ireland has a growing and increasingly diverse population and sets out our goal of ensuring that our policy and service responses are focused on equality, inclusivity and accessibility. In line within the aims of this strategy, within my own Department, we are committed to nurturing a workforce for the future by bringing equality and inclusivity to the fore of our organisational design. We are dedicated to fostering an organisation which works to attract, engage and nurture a diverse and inclusive workforce in order to best serve and reflect Irish society and to empower our staff to continue thriving.
More recently, our Better Public Services strategy outlined our vision of delivering inclusive, high quality and integrated Public Service provision that meets the needs and improves the lives of the people of Ireland.
Although DPENDR is not a directly public-facing department, and therefore does not issue official forms for use by the public, we are committed to reflecting the values of inclusion and diversity in all of our publications.
Our Department also actively promotes and encourages an organisational culture where every individual treats one another with respect, all contributions are valued, all individuals can feel safe, that they belong and can achieve their full potential.
These commitments include recognising and supporting all employees’ gender identity and gender expression in our approach to policy development to further develop a positive, accepting and supportive work environment where every employee is treated with dignity and respect.
