Taoiseach does U-turn over appearing before Dáil committee on gender equality

The committee is addressing  45 recommendations including pay, childcare and tackling domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence

It is understood Taoiseach Micheal Martin will appear before the committee for 90 minutes and TDs want to ensure a “blanket Government response to gender equality”. Photo: Damien Storan.

The Taoiseach has agreed to appear before an Oireachtas committee tackling gender equality having previously turned down the invite stating he was "too busy".

The Irish Examiner has learned that Micheál Martin will now come before the committee on October 12.

The committee - 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.

They address matters including pay and social protection, amendments to the Constitution, childcare, and tackling domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence.

Previous correspondence from Mr Martin’s office earlier this month stated he unfortunately had to turn down the invitation as a result of “an extremely heavy work schedule over the coming months.”

A number of TDs expressed their frustration at Mr Martin’s response at the time given that 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.

Members of the committee have said they are pleased Mr Martin has reconsidered their invitation.

One TD pointed out that it was “interesting” that the Taoiseach has now made himself available after Tanáiste Leo Varadkar appeared before the Committee on Thursday. Mr Varadkar told the committee that the Government is open to having a third gender option on the census along with female and male.

It is understood Mr Martin will appear before the committee for 90 minutes and TDs want to ensure a “blanket Government response to gender equality”.

TDs and senators are due to publish an action plan in the first week of December following nine months of hearings. It’s understood the committee will make a recommendation to hold a referendum within 12 months on amending the Constitution.

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One of the key recommendations of the Citizens' Assembly on Gender Equality was to delete or replace the article in the Constitution about a woman’s place in the home with language that is not gender specific and obliges the State to take reasonable measures to support care within the home and wider community.

Chief executive of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, Noeline Blackwell, said she is glad that the Taoiseach has reconsidered appearing before the committee. She said: “It will demonstrate a whole-of-Government approach and it was also important for the Tanáiste to attend.

“Both are recognising the importance of gender equality, and for me recognising that gender equality is required to deal with issues of violence that hold back equality.”

Ms Blackwell said the Citizens' Assembly and Oireachtas committee has been useful in teasing out how to value unpaid work, care work and women in Irish society. She said the current provision in the Constitution does not value the place of women in the home and said it was “pigeonholing” women.