Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to be associated with the welcome to our new members of the committee and also to acknowledge the work of the former members.

I welcome Ms Smyth and Ms DeSouza and thank them for their contributions. It is obvious from what they have said and from what I know myself that there is very important work ongoing, with women meeting and discussing issues of importance. There is great value in that but there is also a sense that, in some way, it can be disjointed in that it is not leading to real change. I am very interested in what Ms Smyth said about the Encounters programme, which brought groups with a shared interest together and made the connection with the assumption that that would develop, which it did in some cases but not in others, perhaps due to a lack of funding or support. Women's Aid and the Women's Aid Federation Northern Ireland have reconnected and are doing important work, and we know gender-based violence is a huge issue. Has there been any evaluation of the Encounters programme? Why was it only limited to one year? There are so many different groups and areas of interest.