Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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318. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade 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; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28317/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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In line with obligations under the Public Services Management Act (1997), my Department is currently preparing a new Statement of Strategy which will be published later this year. The Statement of Strategy will articulate how this Department intends to implement the commitments assigned to it under the Programme for a Partnership Government. Under the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014, this Department must have regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, promote equality of opportunity and treatment of our staff and customers, and protect the human rights of staff and customers. An initial assessment of the human rights and equality issues arising from the Department’s role as a policy maker, service provider and employer has begun in tandem with the drafting of the Goals, Outcomes and Outputs which make up the Statement of Strategy. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has also offered its assistance to our Department to identify the best possible approach to this public duty and officials from my Department intend to draw on their expertise.

The Irish Government has a consistent record in relation to the promotion of human rights and equality globally. My Department chairs the Inter-Departmental Committee on Human Rights and actively engages with civil society domestically and abroad. Human rights and equality issues are mainstreamed into the development of all our external policies. In addition, the Department is also conscious of the need to reflect the obligations of the Act into our internal policies and procedures as they are developed. In recent years, the Department has taken a number of steps in relation to gender equality. These include the establishment of a Management Board Sub-Committee on Gender and Diversity, as well as the development of a Gender Equality Action Plan. Two working groups – one on gender equality and one on diversity and equality – have been set up to take work forward in this area.

I am aware of the Programme for a Partnership Government commitment relating to equality and gender proofing in the Departmental and Budgetary process. I understand that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform is replying today to a similar Question from you on what his Department is doing centrally to seek to ensure that budgetary processes are equality and gender proofed. I fully support such efforts and am committed to ensuring that the staff of my Department are equipped with the skills necessary to enable them to fulfill this commitment. The Department will continue to engage with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to this end.