Irish reservations on discrimination convention to stay until Bills enacted

THE Government's reservations about an international convention opposing discrimination against women are an embarrassment but will remain in force until anti discrimination legislation is enacted the Minister for Equality and Law Reform has said.

Mr Taylor said the Government's reservations to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women "do not look well on the international scene. They are often raised by ministers from other western countries.

Four reservations deal with matters such as equal access for women to financial credit, and to golf clubs and other recreational facilities. They cannot be removed until the Employment Equality Bill and the Equal Status Bill are signed into law.

The controversial Employment Equality Bill has been referred by the President to the Supreme Court to test its constitutionality. The second stage of the Equal Status Bill is being debated in the Seanad today.

Presenting Ireland's report under the convention, Mr Taylor said yesterday that almost 90 per cent of the recommendations made by the Second Commission on the Status of Women four years ago had been implemented. He said "remarkable" progress had been made in eliminating discrimination against women. "We have achieved more in the last four years than had been achieved in the past 30."

The 170 page report summarises the measures taken to counter gender discrimination in the past to years, when Ireland last made a submission under the convention. These include the creation of a Department of Equality and Law Reform headed by a full cabinet minister - Mr Taylor - and the introduction of divorce.

The Domestic Violence Act came into operation last year, he added, and the number of full time law centres - which deal primarily with family law cases - doubled in the last four years. More money had also been provided for marriage counselling services.

The report has received a broad welcome from women's and equality groups. The chief executive of the Employment Equality Agency, Ms Carmel Foley, said it showed the continuing need for a department of equality.

Mr Taylor, who retires at the next election, said that although "we've broken the back of discrimination", much remained to bee done. The presence of more women at work is being recognised as one of the strongest forces driving Ireland's current economic success. Given that women are generally achieving higher overall educational qualifications than men, it makes sense to maximise the potential of women who want to work and to eliminate barriers to their access to the labour market."

Asked whether he would stand for the Presidency when the position becomes vacant at the end of the year, Mr Taylor said he "had not considered the matter seriously".