Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 101: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the date on which he will sign the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combatting Violence against Women and Domestic Violence and the progress he has made in this area to date. [22684/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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As I have previously stated in my responses to PQ numbers 485 and 521 of Tuesday, 14th February, 2012, 543 of Tuesday 28th of February, 2012, and 74 of Tuesday, 13th of March, the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence is a detailed Convention with a very broad scope across a number of policy areas.

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 Convention. That process took place over a period of almost two years. I am informed that 19 Council of Europe member states have signed the Convention and one has ratified it. It has not yet entered into force as this requires at least ten member states to ratify it.

In view of the complexity and scope of the Convention, and before embarking on the process of formal circulation of a Memo for Government for approval to sign the Convention, Cosc circulated all relevant Departments and State Bodies seeking observations on the final text of the Convention and Explanatory Memorandum. Cosc is finalising its consideration of the issues raised in their responses which need to be addressed by Ireland prior to signature. The matter will then be submitted for decision as to the Government position on the issue of signature.