Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 25 Apr 1995

Vol. 451 No. 8

Written Answers. - Employment Equality.

Michael Woods

Question:

17 Dr. Woods asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform the role which his Department has in ensuring that women have an equal opportunity to progress to decision-making levels in employment; and the plans, if any, he has to increase the proportion of women in management. [7636/95]

Minister for Equality and Law Reform (Mr. Taylor)

I am currently updating the employment equality legislation and expect to being a Bill before the Oireachtas later this year. Since my appointment as Minister for Equality and Law Reform, a priority of my Department has been the promotion of equality of opportunity in the work place, including an improvement in the representation of women at decision making levels in employment. Indeed, one of the objective measures of progress in gender equality is the male-female ratio in management positions.

Under the aegis of my Department, the Employment Equality Agency adopts a pro-active role in the encouragement of both employers and trade unions to adopt equality policies, including promotion and recruitment at management level by the provision of guidance advice and published material. An equal opportunities project with a local authority and a large retail chain is currently being run by the agency, with funding assistance from the EU, and has an aim of increasing the number of women managers in each of these sectors. The agency also actively encourages the development of incentives and training courses to promote and encourage the participation of women at management level. Where discrimination in promotion occurs on the grounds of sex or marital status, the agency also assists in the preparation of a complaint under the Employment Equality Act.

In 1993 my Department reported on a survey of equal opportunities in the public sector. This report covered State-sponsored bodies, local authorities and health boards' supplements surveys in the Civil Service. It pointed to major underrepresentation of women in senior management and professional posts. As a result I requested all public sector employers to introduce equal opportunities policies as part of the commitment to equality under theProgramme for Competitiveness and Work. I am sure that such policies have a major contribution to make in increasing women's representation at management throughout the public sector.

The Employment Equality Act, 1977, prohibits discriminatory action in employment on the grounds of gender or marital status, but does provide that special training courses or other incentives may be afforded a person of a particular sex which is seriously under-represented in a particular type of work. Special training courses of this nature are generally available from FÁS to address the problem of the underrepresentation of women in management. As part of its aim to ensure that the full range of training opportunities are available for women, FÁS places particular focus on courses for women of a technical or managerial nature in its specific skills training and training support schemes.

As the Deputy will also be aware, the Government has set the target that each gender should account for at least 40 per cent of direct Government nominees to each state board. Outside bodies nominating persons to state boards have been asked, and in some cases are required by law, to follow the 40 per cent gender policy.