Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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144. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the approach his Department is taking to drafting the next national strategy on women and girls; the focus there will there be on violence against women; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5101/22]

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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155. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the approach that his Department will be taking to the drafting of the next national strategy on women and girls; if the strategy will focus on the issue of violence against women; if so, if this will complement the forthcoming third national strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5315/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 144 and 155 together.

The Programme for Government “Our Shared Future” includes a commitment that the Government will develop and implement a new National Strategy for Women and Girls, which provides a whole-of-Government framework through which women’s empowerment continues to be advanced.

The National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017-2021 was developed in consultation with stakeholders, and the process included consultation with civil society and with the public.

I will work with stakeholders to examine what has been achieved over the term of the National Strategy for Women and Girls and consider how we can bring forth the next iterations of the suite of national equality strategies and ensure they are even more robust and effective. In this regard, my Department has commissioned a study to evaluate the processes for implementation of three equality strategies, which includes the National Strategy for Women and Girls as well as the Migrant Integration Strategy and the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy.

Consultations in regard to the successor strategy will commence during 2022.

Safety and combating violence against women featured in the vision and as a high-level objective of the 2017 Strategy. This goal was advanced through measures complementing the Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence, coordinated by the Department of Justice.The Government continues to take a cross departmental approach to combating domestic sexual and gender-based violence, including violence against women and girls, and to providing a comprehensive range of supports for victims of such violence.

My Department is currently developing proposals for the introduction of Domestic Violence Leave to enable persons experiencing domestic violence to have time off work, including to attend court to secure orders against the person perpetrating such violence.