Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 517: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his proposals regarding comprehensive far-reaching public awareness and education programmes on violence against women together with appropriate training on violence against women for public officials, the Judiciary and health professionals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32034/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The national steering committee on violence against women was set up in 1997 to provide a co-ordinated response from the many statutory and voluntary bodies involved in responding to the problem of violence against women. The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, in conjunction with the committee, has conducted a series of successful awareness raising campaigns dealing with various aspects of this issue in recent years. The steering committee is developing a strategic plan for its work over the next five to ten years, which will include the development of a long-term and wide ranging strategy for raising public awareness of the issue of violence against women. The strategic plan should be completed early next year and will be widely circulated at that time.

This strategy is expected to address the information and awareness needs of relevant public officials and health professionals, in partnership with the training and education arrangements already in place for the groups in question. In the case of the Judiciary, which is independent in the exercise of its functions under the law and the Constitution, provision of training and education is a matter for the Judicial Studies Institute, established in 1996 for this purpose. My role in this regard is to support any programmes put in place by the institute through funding made available in the courts Vote which is administered by the Courts Service.