Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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877. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to sign the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combatting Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence. [34443/13]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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880. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress made regarding the particular difficulty to be addressed in Ireland’s consideration of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combatting Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence relating to reconciling property rights under the Irish constitution with the requirement under Article 52 of the Convention, the availability of emergency barring orders. [34446/13]

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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900. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will confirm when Ireland will ratify the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34830/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 877, 880 and 900 together.

Ireland supports, in principle, the aims and terms of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.

The provisions of the Convention and the legislative and administrative arrangements that would be necessary to allow signature and ratification of the Convention by Ireland are being examined in my Department in conjunction with 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.

The development of the consolidated and reformed legislation, including consideration of the Convention provisions, will be progressed as soon as possible having regard to the need for consultations and other legislative priorities in my Department. Cosc, the National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence, is undertaking the preliminary work in developing proposals for consideration. Cosc has met with relevant groups from the NGO sector and received some proposals for consideration. Further material is also awaited from the sector. In additional, any potential impediments to ratification of the convention relating to constitutional provisions continue to be examined.

The convention has not yet entered into force as this requires at least ten ratifications, including 8 Council of Europe member states.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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878. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he has held discussions with his counterparts across Europe during Ireland's Presidency of the EU in support for the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combatting Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence. [34444/13]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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879. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress made during Ireland's Presidency of the EU in securing ratification by EU Member States of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combatting Violence against Women and Domestic Violence. [34445/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 878 and 879 together.

Ireland, as President of the European Union in the first half of this year, indicated the support of the EU for the comprehensive approach of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. As is normal, discussions took place between the EU member states and the European Commission with regard to agreeing an EU position in this matter. However, the issue of ratification of the convention is solely a matter for each state to consider for itself.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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881. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he is considering the inclusion of a provision requiring permanent or temporary interference with property rights for the common good in the consolidated and reformed domestic violence legislation his Department is to progress when other legislative priorities in his Department have been disposed of. [34447/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I refer the Deputy to my response to the Topical Issues Debate on Domestic Violence on Wednesday the 12th of June last. The topic was raised by the Deputy along with Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor.

I indicated during my concluding comments in that debate that I intended to further explore the issue of barring a perpetrator of domestic violence from the home when consolidating the legislation in this area. That remains my intention.