Vol. 410 No. 7
28 Mr. Byrne asked the Minister for Labour if he has any plans to encourage employers in the public sector or private sector to introduce positive action programmes to encourage the full participation of both sexes in all employments; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
There are a number of approaches in my strategy to encourage employers to take positive action to promote equal opportunities. For example, last year I launched the equality focus award scheme, which is sponsored by the Employment Equality Agency and the EC in co-operation with the Irish branch of the Institute of Personnel Management. The aim of this scheme is to encourage employers both in the public and private sectors to implement positive action initiatives and to give recognition to the efforts which companies are already taking. I undertook, in the context of the Programme for Economic and Social Progress, to develop the scheme in association with the Agency.
In addition to initiatives to reward outstanding effort, the second element of my strategy is to stimulate ongoing review of progress in order to ensure the success of equal opportunity policies and programmes and to overcome possible resistance to change. I consider the public sector as an appropriate proving ground for new concepts of positive action and that it has an obligation to give leadership to the private sector. The first report of equal opportunities in State-sponsored bodies which I published in January of this year showed that there is considerable scope for progress. I have extended the process of monitoring to local authorities and health boards. One of the most valuable by-products of this exercise will be the creation of databases so that organisations can establish targets and plan and organise to achieve those targets. I expect that representatives of employers and workers will be involved in the follow-up of that exercise.
The Deputy will be aware of the extent to which equal opportunity policy and guidelines for the Civil Service is being monitored by unions and management dealing with, among other things, recruitment and selection, promotion, training and development, and combining work with family responsibilities. The model thus developed and the clear guidance which has been provided in this matter by both the ICTU and the FIE should serve to inform more and more employers in the private sector about the advantages and the modalities of introducing positive action programmes.
