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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 31 Oct 1990

Vol. 402 No. 3

Written Answers. - EC Committee Appointees.

Pat Rabbitte

Question:

22 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that all nine Irish appointees to the EC's Economic and Social Committee are male and that the nine alternate members are also male; if he intends to take any steps to encourage the appointment of Irish women to EC Committees; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Ireland has nine members of the Economic and Social Committee. Under present arrangements, three members represent labour, three represent employers, two represent agriculture and one represents the social sector. Nominations for candidates and alternates are sought by the Government from representative bodies in each of the sectors.

In July this year when the committee was being renewed, the Government asked those bodies to have regard to the concerns of women and young people when making their nominations. This is in line with the Government's view that as many women as possible should be represented on committees under the auspices of the European Community. In the event, however, none of the bodies concerned nominated a woman for appointment as representative. I am fully conscious of the absence of women among Ireland's representatives on the committee to date and I will consider what can be done to redress this situation when representatives are next appointed to the committee in 1994. A possible approach might be to include a major women's organisation among the nominating bodies for the committee to be appointed in 1994.
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