Vol. 415 No. 9
15 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Taoiseach if, in regard to the comments made by his predecessor at the conference on 1 February organised by the Council for the Status of Women regarding the need for gender balance in top positions, he will outline the Government's plans to take any new initiatives to achieve this objective in the public service; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The Government have set a national framework in place for the achievement of gender balance in top positions, through their acceptance of the recommendations in the First Statement of the Commission on the Status of Women. The key recommendations in question are: targets for gender-balance between women and men in appointments to the boards of State-sponsored bodies; and a commitment to nominate a woman to the Top Level Appointments Committee which interviews candidates for the highest tier of posts in the Civil Service.
The Government are currently working towards the achievement of the targets for the appointment of women to State boards. I hope to be in a position to appoint a woman to the Top Level Appointments Committee in the Civil Service at an early date. As for possible new initiatives in this area, I expect that the final report of the Commission on the Status of Women, which is due next June, will address this issue further. The Government will consider very carefully any additional recommendations the commission may make on this subject.
I am sure the Taoiseach is aware that there are only about 14 per cent of women on the boards of State-sponsored bodies and that the Government have the right to appoint two-thirds of those positions. In view of the fact that there are only 69 women holding such position out of a total of 200 places, may I ask the Taoiseach if the Government have a specific timetable for filling vacancies or even replacing some men with women and what that timetable might be? May I ask him also if there are any vacancies to be filled at present and if he proposes to appoint women to these positions?
I do not have the information in relation to vacancies. As regards my Department the Commission's recommendation is being observed. Women have been appointed to two vacancies on the board of the Abbey Theatre; two women have been appointed to the board of the National Gallery of Ireland and five women to the board of the National Concert Hall. Moreover of the 15 members appointed to the Green 2,000 Advisory Group, six are women. There are five women on the board of the National Heritage Council out of a total of 14. I would also mention that a woman has been appointed to the Chair of the Custom House Docks Authority, the first such appointment to a commercial State body. I hope the Deputy will accept that progress in this area across Government Departments will necessarily take time, and it will be expedited. Every vacancy that arises will be considered in that regard. I hope the Deputy will agree that while the commission's recommendation should be implemented as far as possible it should be subject, as the commission have acknowledged, to the need to appoint men where objective criteria so indicate. The Deputy can rest assured that overall the Government will make solid progress in response to the commission's recommendation and that this progress will be sustained.
Will the Taoiseach indicate if he expects to attain the recommended gender balance of 40 per cent of women in top places by the end of the century?
The Deputy would not expect me to remove people from their present positions. As vacancies arise the recommendation will be taken on board, although to talk of the end of the century is a little too presumptuous.
If it means that we can achieve some kind of balance with regard to the representation of 50 per cent of our population on boards for which the Government have responsibility, perhaps the Taoiseach should consider asking some of the men on these boards who do not need the money to step aside and give women a chance to prove what they are capable of doing.
Like the Taoiseach's predecessor — stepping aside.
I have no intention of taking up the Deputy's suggestion. The people appointed to boards will work out their time on those boards and as vacancies arise the appointment of women will be considered. Appointments to some boards are for a five year period and others a seven year period. I will not ask for the resignations of people who are doing their jobs properly, nor would anybody expect me to do so.
That is what Deputy Gerry Collins thought.
Will the Taoiseach agree that the tendency has been to appoint women to boards with no economic clout? The first appointment of a woman to an economic board has been in the case of the Custom House Docks Board. Will the Taoiseach give an assurance to the House that a conscious decision will be taken that in future women will be appointed to the boards of economic semi-State companies which have real economic clout and power?
I am surprised the Deputy does not recall that I appointed a lady to the board of the Kilkenny Design Workshop, a semi-State board with real clout.
The Taoiseach knows what I am talking about. Are we to take it that the Taoiseach is not giving such a commitment to the House?
I want to call Deputy Barnes.
A lady was also appointed to the Central Bank, which is a place of real clout.
The Taoiseach nearly forgot to appoint a woman to the Cabinet.
Let us hear Deputy Barnes.
Will the Taoiseach ensure that, apart from giving a commitment on the interim recommendations of the Second Commission on the Status of Women, recommendation No. 3 regarding the appointment of women should be implemented? If it could not be implemented in the foreseeable future the Government should have indicated that, but they did not do so. Is the Taoiseach aware that, without crudely demanding resignations from people certain members who wish to move over could be relieved of their positions and thus the number of women on boards could be increased? Despite objective criteria, a positive action programme is operated throughout the western world. This programme of advancement for women is recognised as the only way, in this century or the next, towards achieving equity for women.
I am sorry the Deputy was not listening to the list of appointments I read out in relation to my Department.
I listened carefully.
As a Government we accepted the recommendations of the commission.
They were not implemented.
I will be meeting Miss Justice Carroll next week for further discussions on the matter. The Deputy may be assured that, despite whatever picture she and her colleagues want to paint, the Government, through our actions, not through our words——
We know through your actions what you have done.
——have advanced the position in relation to women appointments further than any other Government——
Not in Cabinet.
The Taoiseach could have seen to that through his Cabinet appointments.
——and will continue to advance their position.
Very briefly, may I ask the Taoiseach how many departmental secretary positions are due to become vacant arising from retirement, how many positions of departmental secretary are at present filled by women——
That is a detailed matter requiring a separate question, surely.
——and to how many of those positions does he expect women to be appointed during the term of his Government?
That is a matter for a separate question.
The Deputy should put down a separate question.
