Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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38. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to report on Ireland’s third National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security; the progress made regarding the development of a fourth national action plan; the elements of consultation he intends to take in relation to the development of such an action plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36255/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland has made considerable progress in implementing its third National Action Plan (NAP) on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and related resolutions on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) (2019-2024). Through the NAP, Ireland commits to deliver on a holistic and comprehensive approach to conflict prevention as well as the adoption of both the EU Strategic Approach to Women, Peace and Security and the conclusions of the 2015 UN Study on the implementation of the WPS Agenda. The National Action Plan also emphasises the importance of amplifying the voices of young people and commits to supporting organisations to build youth engagement, including a focus on intergenerational dialogue and the engagement and empowerment of young women and girls.

The Oversight Group, which oversees the implementation of Ireland’s NAP, continues to meet quarterly and is comprised of fifty percent government representatives and fifty percent civil society representatives. These meetings ensure Ireland remains accountable to its commitments outlined in the NAP. An annual report is published and is available on the Department of Foreign Affairs website. As part of the ongoing monitoring of the NAP’s implementation, a mid-term review commenced in late 2022 and was presented to the Oversight Group in early 2023, which led to improvements in reporting.

Ireland’s NAP is structured across four pillars - Prevention, Participation, Protection and Promotion – and has a dual focus on action in both domestic and foreign policy.

I would like to highlight two particular examples of Ireland’s progress implementing the NAP, both on a domestic and international level. On the national level, in 2022, the establishment of Cuan, Ireland’s first Domestic and Sexual Gender Based Violence (DSGBV) agency, was an essential step towards combatting DSGBV at home.

During our tenure on the UN Security Council (2021-2022), Ireland worked to mainstream the WPS Agenda, and to embed gender perspectives, across the work of the Council. Together with Mexico, Ireland co-chaired the UN Security Council’s Informal Expert Group on WPS. Ireland invited a record number of women civil society briefers to meetings during our Presidency of the Security Council.

The current National Action Plan is due to expire at the end of 2024. The development of Ireland's fourth National Action Plan (2025 - 2030) is currently under way, expected to be published early 2025, following broad based consultation. The new NAP will be informed by lessons learned and best practices on national action plans across the globe.