PQ: EU Conventions (Violence Against Women)
647. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he intends to sign the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combatting Violence against Women and Domestic Violence CETS No. 210; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
648. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when he intends to sign and ratify the Council of Europe European Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, in view of the scale and prevalence of domestic violence here; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
661. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will ensure that Ireland signs up to the European Convention on preventing and combatting violence against women and domestic violence before our term at EU Presidency ends.
662. Deputy Paschal Donohoe asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will outline the constitutional difficulties identified by his Department in respect of Ireland’s ability to sign up to and ratify the European Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
666. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to sign up to the European Convention on Preventing Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence; the date on which he plans to do same; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
667. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will sign the European Convention on Violence against Women before Ireland’s EU Presidency ends; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
672. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will sign the European Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence
678. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when the Government intends to sign the European Convention on Preventing and Combatting Violence Against Women; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
681. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will sign the European Convention on Preventing and Combatting Violence against Women and Domestic Violence as it is a fact that one on five women have been subjected to domestic violence here; and if he will take every necessary measure to reduce this number.
683. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will sign the European Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women before Ireland’s EU Presidency ends; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
713. Deputy Maureen O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when Ireland will sign and ratify the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence as Ireland holds the EU Presidency and in view of the scale and prevalence of domestic violence here; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
718. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he intends to sign the European Convention on Violence against Women; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
719. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the reasons for the delay in signing the European Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence; and the target month in 2013 he is working to to have this Convention signed.
723. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality in view of the scale and prevalence of domestic abuse here, if he will sign the European Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence on behalf of the State before Ireland’s EU Presidency concludes; his views on the fact that Ireland remains one of the minority number of countries who have thus far failed to sign up to the Convention since it opened for signature in May 2011.
729. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will sign the European Convention on Violence Against Women.
730. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to sign the European Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
734. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will make good the commitments made by previous successive Governments and commit to signing the European Convention on Preventing and Combatting Violence Against Women and domestic violence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.
737. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding signing the European Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.
739. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will address the situation whereby Ireland have not yet signed The European Convention on Violence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Minister for Justice and Equality (Deputy Alan Shatter): I propose to take Questions Nos. 647, 648, 661, 662, 666, 667, 678, 681, 683, 713, 718, 719, 723, 729, 730, 734, 737 and 739 together.
Ireland supports, in principle, the aims and terms of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.
It is a detailed Convention with a very broad scope across a number of policy areas with potential policy and legislative implications. The provisions of the Convention and the legislative and administrative arrangements that would be necessary to allow signature and ratification of the Convention by Ireland are being examined in conjunction with the government commitment to introduce consolidated and reformed domestic violence legislation to address all aspects of domestic violence, threatened violence and intimidation, in a way that provides protection to victims.
However, a particular difficulty to be addressed in Ireland’s consideration of the Convention relates to reconciling property rights under the Irish constitution with the requirement under Article 52 of the Convention – the availability of emergency barring orders. The development of the consolidated and reformed legislation, including consideration of the Convention provisions, will be progressed as soon as possible having regard to the need for consultations and other legislative priorities in my Department.
I should also inform you that, to date, 30 Council of Europe member states have signed the Convention of which four have ratified it. Of these just one EU member state, Portugal, has as yet ratified the convention. The convention has not yet entered into force as this requires at least ten ratifications, including 8 Council of Europe member states.
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