asked the Minister for Finance the percentage of public service workers which is female; the percentage of senior management or executive or equivalent positions held by females; his views on whether the present position amounts to inequality and as such discrimination against women; his views on whether a policy of affirmative action or positive discrimination would be useful in eliminating this imbalance; if he will consider that there should be reserved positions for females in all senior positions until such time as a proper balance between the sexes is achieved; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Female Promotion in the Civil Service.
46.
The Civil Service is the only area of the public service where I currently have statutory responsibility for control of numbers and grades employed. The percentage of women serving in the Civil Service was 44 per cent as of February 1987.
The information sought about the percentage representation of women in senior management, executive and equivalent grades is as shown hereunder:—
Table 1.
Numbers and Proportion of Women in General Service Grades from Higher Executive Officer Upwards — February 1987.
|
Grade |
%Women in Grade |
|
Secretary |
0 |
|
Deputy Secretary |
0 |
|
Assistant Secretary |
1.05 |
|
Principal Officer |
4.48 |
|
Assistant Principal Officer |
24.25 |
|
Administrative Officer |
31.68 |
|
Higher Executive Officer |
33.76 |
Table 2.
Number and Proportion of women in Departmental/Professional grades from Higher Executive Officer equivalent level and upwards —February 1987.
|
Equivalent General Service Grade |
% Women in Grade |
|
Secretary |
0 |
|
Deputy Secretary |
0 |
|
Assistant Secretary |
4.29 |
|
Principal Officer |
4 |
|
Assistant Principal Officer |
10.89 |
|
Higher Executive Officer |
22.31 |
Note — Departmental/Professional grades are grouped on the basis of salary maximum.
While the tables show that women are under-represented in the higher levels of the Civil Service, the proportion of women serving in the higher grades has increased significantly in the past decade. The figures show that, today, over 23 per cent of assistant principals, the main middle management grade in the Civil Service, are women. This compares with 4 per cent in 1972. In the grade of higher executive officer, the comparable figures are 33 per cent and 12 per cent respectively.
The Government as employer is committed to equality of opportunity and fuller participation by women throughout the Civil Service.
A number of major initiatives have been taken by my Department in the area of equal opportunity. Since January 1984 a section in the Department has been designated with specific responsibility for women's affairs. The section serves as a focal point for the co-ordination, development and implementation of policy in this area. It is involved in negotiations on a wide range of claims on equality and family issues with staff side interests under the scheme of conciliation and arbitration for the Civil Service. Another significant development has been the introduction of more flexible working arrangements which are of particular importance to staff wishing to combine a career and family responsibility. These include the schemes of career breaks, job-sharing and flexible working hours. For women in management grades, the Civil Service Training Centre has designed and launched a new course "The Woman Manager" which is specifically designed to encourage women employees to develop and enhance their management potential.
Equal opportunity policy and guidlines for the Civil Service were issued in July 1986. These were drawn up in agreement with staff interests and in consultation with the Employment Equality Agency. The guidelines deal with equality in relation to recruitment, placement, training and promotion and are designed to ensure that the advances made by women in the Civil Service to date will continue.
It is the Government's policy, that there should be no discrimination against women in the Civil Service. All staff have an equal opportunity to advance on the basis of merit and ability irrespective of sex or marital status. In this way the talents and potential of all employees can be utilised and developed. Against this background it is not considered necessary or appropriate that there should be reserved positions for women in the senior levels of the Civil Service.