Taoiseach 'too busy' to attend gender equality committee
Taoiseach Micheál Martin was unable to accept an invitation to appear before a committee tackling gender equality due to an 'extremely heavy work schedule'. Picture: Conor Ó Mearáin/Collins
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has turned down a request to appear before an Oireachtas committee tackling gender equality, on the grounds that he is too busy.
The committee, which is made up of cross-party TDs and senators, was established to consider the 45 recommendations contained in the Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality.
Among topics that members had hoped to question the Taoiseach about was the issue of domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence.
The implementation of the third national strategy on Domestic, Sexual, and Gender-Based Violence is overseen by the Taoiseach through the Cabinet Committee on Social Affairs.
It is understood that Mr Martin was invited to appear before the committee on October 20 but it was open for him to attend at another suitable date.
Correspondence from Mr Martin's office, seen by the , said the Taoiseach notes the Government’s commitment to responding to each recommendation of the Citizens' Assembly. The letter reads:
The letter goes on to say that he hoped Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Roderic O’Gorman might be available to attend on a suitable date.
Members of the committee are said to be “very disappointed” by the response and are hoping Mr Martin will reconsider and make himself available for an alternative date.
Chief executive of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, Noeline Blackwell said she would be surprised if Mr Martin was “snubbing” the committee because he has given a genuine commitment to tackling the issue.
“It’s important that the whole question of gender equality isn’t seen as a niche area for the equality minister and it’s a whole-of-government approach," she said.
“I know that gender-based violence was only one set of recommendations of the citizens' assembly but nonetheless, in the context of the very genuine commitment that I personally saw the day that the strategy was launched, it just looks like a very different attitude and the message he was sending out back then was that this was a whole-of-government [approach] and [he] was taking it very seriously.”
Rape Crisis Network of Ireland executive director Cliona Sadlier said “words are well and good” but she hopes the commitment to tackle gender equality will show in the budget.
“I think that is where we’ll be looking to see the commitment from the Taoiseach and minister," she said.
Members of the Oireachtas committee wanted to question the Taoiseach on how the Government plans to implement 45 recommendations made by the Citizens' Assembly on Gender Equality.
Recommendations address matters including pay and social protection, amendments to the Constitution, childcare, and tackling domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence.
The Oireachtas Committee is due to publish an action plan on December 1 following nine months of hearings.
