Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am anxious to see Ireland in a position to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combatting Violence against Women and Domestic Violence - the Istanbul convention - as quickly as possible. However, I will only be able to proceed with ratification when we have in place measures that match the requirements of the convention. This will require changes to our domestic legislation. This is a matter of priority for me. To this end, the Department is working on a number of pieces of legislation which will assist in Ireland ratifying the convention.

The legislation under development to allow us ratify the convention includes 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. This legislation will enable requirements of the convention to be addressed. Substantial progress has been made by the Department in formulating legislative proposals in this regard.

It is anticipated that the legislation to transpose the EU victims directive will also implement articles contained in the Istanbul convention. The victims directive is another important part of ensuring we can sign and ratify the convention, the deadline for which is November 2015. I am not suggesting that ratification will not take place until then but that is the actual deadline for Ireland to sign that directive.

In addition, Cosc, the national office for the prevention of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, an office of my Department, is working with a substantial number of external Departments and other agencies to identify other possible legislative and administrative issues and solutions necessary before Ireland can ratify the convention. We will have an action plan to enable Ireland to ratify the convention provisions. I have asked for this to be progressed as quickly as possible, having regard to the various obligations of other Departments. I want to assure the Deputy that this is a priority for me. I believe Ireland should sign and ratify the Istanbul convention.

There was some concern that our legislative provisions on barring orders might serve as a constitutional impediment to signing. I asked for further advice on that and got some. I hope there will not be an impediment so it will be a question of legislative change as opposed to constitutional change.

See this speech in context