Nuala Fennell
Question:3 Mrs. Fennell asked the Taoiseach the number of (a) men and (b) women in his Department in the higher executive officer grade and above in (i) 1989 and (ii) 1986.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Civil Service Grade.
The number of (a) men and (b) women in the Department of the Taoiseach in the grade of higher executive officer and above, including analogous grades, in 1989 was 59 men and 28 women and in 1986, 70 men and 26 women.
The number in respect of the Central Statistics Office for 1989 was 46 men and 19 women and in 1986, 45 men and 24 women.
Is mar seo a leanas an t-eolas sin i gcás Roinn na Gaeltachta:
Ar 31 Nollaig 1989 bhí iomlán de 22 i Roinn na Gaeltachta sna gráid Ardoifigeach Feidhmiúcháin agus níos airde — 20 fear agus 2 bhan. Is mar an gcéanna a bhí an scéal i 1986.
I would like to thank the Taoiseach for his reply. Does the Taoiseach not agree that the position of women in these grades in the Civil Service is quite appalling and that in fact there has been a worsening of their situation in the last four years?
Not in my Department.
Can the Ceann Comhairle bear with me, because I feel it is important——
The Deputy is veering out of order.
I want to illustrate the point to the Taoiseach. I had parliamentary questions down and got answers to them yesterday which showed that across all Departments the situation of women in these grades has worsened. I will give an example. In the Department of Industry and Commerce——
I am sorry, Deputy Fennell.
I have no other way——
The Deputy's Question No. 3 is essentially statistical. Questions of policy do not arise. If the Deputy wishes to raise policy matters she will have to put down other questions. Policy matters do not arise now.
Is the Taoiseach not aware of the situation of women in the Civil Service, on a statistical level, over four years? As a supplementary could I ask the Taoiseach if he is aware that in his Department or in other Departments there has never been a women secretary or assistant secretary?
The Deputy is clearly seeking to circumvent the ruling of the Chair.
There was a women secretary of the Department of Industry and Commerce.
Could I have the Taoiseach's assurance that the top level appointments commission would be examined to see where the bias is, because I believe there is one?
To my knowledge there was at least one women secretary of a Department, Dr. Thekla Beere, who was an excellent secretary of the Department of Industry and Commerce. As a result of her excellence as Secretary of the Department of Industry and Commerce I appointed her as chairperson of the first Commission on the State of Women.
Policy matters being adverted to do not arise.
May I reply? In so far as my Department are concerned, the situation has actually improved because as a very zealous Department in keeping down the numbers of staff we have reduced the number of men in the Department from 70 to 59 and we have only reduced the number of women from 28 to 26, so we are very meritorious in that regard.
In the Department of Education the number of women went from 86 down to 37.