Departmental Policies
Dail Éireann — 2026-09-17
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Norma Foley (FF), Kerry

To be very clear, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality has no role in the publication of books. The Department neither publishes the books, and nor does it recommend them. That has nothing to do with the Department.
Deputy O'Flynn referred to an account given by a former Deputy. I have said that I do not share that account. I have a different remembrance of the engagement I had with the former Deputy, and it is completely at odds with what he has suggested. Notwithstanding that, Deputy O'Flynn asked what mechanisms we employ in terms of equality and ensuring that there are not any disproportionate impacts. That is specifically what is written in the Deputy's question. He asked what mechanisms are in place that might protect against unintended or disproportionate impacts on the rights of other groups, particularly children, women and girls. I have clearly outlined to the Deputy that there are a number of mechanisms in place, including in the Department of public expenditure from a budgetary point of view, the analysis done by the European Institute for Gender Equality, the responsibility placed on every Department to analyse the impacts of whatever policies or strategies it is introducing, or the role played by the wider Dáil in the legislation going through the House.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-09-17/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-28T05:50:48+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-09-17