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For Oral Answer on : 17/11/2022
Question Number(s): 86 Question Reference(s): 56525/22
Department: Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Asked by: David Stanton T.D.
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QUESTION
To ask the Minister for Children; Equality; Disability; Integration and Youth the current status with respect to the national strategy for women and girls, the migrant integration strategy and the national Traveller and Roma inclusion strategy; if he has extended the lifetime of any of these strategies; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY
The Programme for Government includes specific commitments that the Government will develop and implement a new Migrant Integration Strategy and a new National Strategy for Women and Girls, in addition to reviewing the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy and ensuring that the successor strategy has a stronger outcomes focused approach.
While initially due to conclude in 2020, and 2021 in the case of the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy, these strategies were extended in recognition of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their implementation.
My Department has commissioned a study to evaluate the processes for implementation of three equality strategies, the National Strategy for Women and Girls as well as the Migrant Integration Strategy and the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy. The study is expected to be published in early 2023, with work to build the new Strategies taking place thereafter. I will make this study available once it has been completed.
Consultations in regard to the successor strategies to the Migrant Integration Strategy and the National Strategy for Women and Girls will then commence. Consultations with the Strategy Committee have commenced in 2022 in respect of the successor to the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy. In the interim, the principles and priorities of the Migrant Integration Strategy, the National Strategy for Women and Girls and the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy (NTRIS) will continue to guide my Department’s work to advance equality in these areas.
Meetings continue of the relevant Strategy Committees. The NTRIS Strategy Committee met most recently on 14 November to review progress on the Strategy and to discuss actions in relation to Traveller employment.