Vol. 441 No. 5
191 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Education the up-to-date situation concerning the appointment of boards to the regional technical colleges and universities; the number who have complied with her gender quota; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
I have appointed governing bodies to the regional technical colleges in Athlone, Carlow, Cork, Dundalk, Galway, Sligo, Tallaght and Tralee to 31 March, 1995. The academic staff representatives on these governing bodies have to be appointed as yet.
While none of the governing bodies appointed represents an appropriate gender balance, four of the eight governing bodies did achieve almost or in excess of 25 per cent female representation. This is, however, an unsatisfactory outcome and the Government has authorised the drafting of a Bill as a matter of priority to amend the existing legislation for the regional technical colleges and the Dublin Institute of Technology which will deal with issue of gender balance in the governing bodies.
In relation to the universities, the position is that I have no function in relation to appointments to the governing authorities of Trinity College or St. Patrick's College, Maynooth. In the case of the constituent university colleges of the National University of Ireland, the Government appoints to the governing bodies only three members in the case of UCC and UCG and four members in UCD. The balance of the members are either ex officio, elected or co-opted by the governing bodies themselves.
The governing bodies of the University of Limerick and Dublin City University were appointed in 1992 for a five year period.
