Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 147: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on signing the Council of Europe Convention on the Preventing and Combating of Violence against Women and Domestic Violence; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the convention was adopted on 11 May 2011 and has been signed up to since then by 16 states, excluding Ireland; the reason for the delay in signing this convention; if there are difficulties in meeting the legally binding obligations set out in the convention on signing by him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33576/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Cosc, the National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence, an executive office within my Department, actively contributed to all stages of the drafting process in relation to the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence. That process took place over a period of almost two years. I am aware that 16 Council of Europe member states signed the Convention but it has not yet entered into force. Before the Convention enters into force 10 signatories must have expressed their consent to be bound by it.

As the Convention is a very detailed one and its scope is very broad, it has potential policy implications across a wide range of government departments and state agencies. For that reason the Convention's implications require careful and comprehensive examination. Cosc is currently examining the Convention with a view to identifying the issues which need to be addressed in order to pave the way for a submission to the Government on the question of signature of the Convention by Ireland.