Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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616. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his plans to reflect and deliver on a public duty (details supplied) in his Department's statement of strategy due to be published in October 2016; the way in which his Department is engaging with the programme for a partnership Government commitment to equality and gender proofing in the departmental and budgetary process. [28406/16]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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My Department is currently preparing a draft Strategy Statement 2016 - 2019 for the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces. This will reflect the requirement to include an assessment of relevant human rights and equality issues, in accordance with the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014.

The Programme for Partnership Government contains a number of commitments that have been assigned to the Department of Defence. These include specific commitments aimed at increasing levels of female participation in the Defence Forces and work is ongoing in this regard. While my Department does not have responsibility in the first instance for delivery of the commitment in relation to supporting equality and gender proofing, any necessary measures arising from implementation of this commitment will be progressed, as appropriate, by my Department.