Michael Woods
Question:32 Dr. Woods asked the Minister for the Environment the current position in relation to the number and percentage of women in each grade in local administration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24664/96]
Written Answers. - Local Authority Staffing.
I propose to circulate in the Official Report a tabular statement setting out the information requested. The information is based on staffing returns supplied to my Department in respect of the position at 31 December 1995.
Local authorities are committed to a policy of equal opportunity which is contained in a statement of equal opportunity issued to all local authorities in February 1990 by the local government staff negotiations board. The statement was drawn up following negotiations involving local authority and health board management and unions and the Departments of the Environment and Health. It covers matters such as recruitment, selection, training and development. Notwithstanding the commitment to equality of opportunity which I have outlined, there is, as has recently been indicated in "Better Local Government — A Programme for Change", a clear gender imbalance in the management levels in the local authority service. It is, therefore, proposed that a special development programme will be established for women managers, which will be specifically targeted at ensuring that a greater proportion of women are in a position to compete effectively for posts leading to management levels.
The Local Appointments Commission has already made considerable strides in ensuring that there is increasing participation of women on its interview boards. Local authorities are being asked to place considerable greater emphasis on this important aspect of recruitment policy too.
Finally, a working group representative of my Department and the City and County Managers' Association is reviewing equality matters generally in the local authority service, taking account of the recommendations of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Womens' Rights on women in management in local administration. I understand that the review is nearing completion and that a report will be available to me shortly. I intend at that stage to issue further guidance on a range of equality related matters to the local authorities.
Women in Local Authority Grades at 31 December 1995
|
Number |
% |
|
|
Clerical Administrative Grades |
||
|
Grade |
||
|
City/County Manager |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Assistant City/County Manager |
0 |
0.00 |
|
County Sec./Asst. Town Clerk |
2 |
7.40 |
|
Finance Officer |
1 |
3.70 |
|
Town Clerk |
12 |
20.00 |
|
County/City Librarian |
10 |
35.71 |
|
Administrative Officer |
24 |
15.19 |
|
Senior Staff Officer |
60 |
22.56 |
|
Staff Officer |
201 |
45.37 |
|
Assistant Staff Officer |
384 |
62.85 |
|
Clerical Officer |
1,317 |
73.31 |
|
Clerk/Typist |
1,236 |
98.96 |
|
Clerical Assistant |
31 |
88.57 |
|
Executive Librarian |
4 |
36.36 |
|
Assistant Librarian |
47 |
58.75 |
|
Senior Library Assistant |
104 |
73.14 |
|
Library Assistant |
257 |
78.35 |
|
Branch Librarian |
221 |
94.44 |
|
Rate Collector |
1 |
2.44 |
|
Rent Collector |
5 |
3.35 |
|
Rent/Rate Collector |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Revenue Collector |
53 |
14.17 |
|
Storekeeper Grade A |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Storekeeper Grade B |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Senior Legal Assistant |
7 |
36.84 |
|
Legal Assistant |
22 |
62.86 |
|
Social Worker |
27 |
71.05 |
|
Housing Welfare Officer |
22 |
84.62 |
|
County Development Officer |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Other Cler./Admin. |
366 |
50.55 |
|
Total |
4,413 |
63.25 |
|
Professional Technical Grades |
||
|
Grade |
||
|
County Engineer |
0 |
0.00 |
|
County Architect |
0 |
0.00 |
|
City Engineer |
0 |
0.00 |
|
City Architect |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Law Agent |
2 |
25.00 |
|
Deputy/Senior Engineer |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Borough Engineer |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Town Engineer |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Senior Architect |
2 |
66.67 |
|
Senior Executive Engineer |
3 |
1.21 |
|
Senior Executive Planner |
8 |
16.67 |
|
Senior Executive (Planning) |
2 |
8.70 |
|
Senior Executive Architect |
1 |
3.33 |
|
Executive Engineer |
20 |
3.44 |
|
Executive Planner |
20 |
32.79 |
|
Executive Architect |
5 |
18.52 |
|
Chief Fire Officer |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Assistant Chief Fire Officer (Oper.) |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Assistant Chief Fire Officer (Prev.) |
1 |
4.00 |
|
Assistant Engineer |
31 |
12.35 |
|
Assistant Planner |
29 |
52.73 |
|
Assistant Architect |
6 |
31.58 |
|
Assistant Fire Officer (Prev.) |
4 |
30.77 |
|
2nd Fire Officer |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Executive Dr. /Technician |
2 |
2.86 |
|
Dr. /Technician Grade 1 |
21 |
8.43 |
|
Dr. /Technician Grade 2 |
40 |
11.98 |
|
Graduate Engineer |
21 |
23.60 |
|
Clerk of Works |
1 |
0.92 |
|
Other Prof./Tech. |
56 |
8.05 |
|
Total |
275 |
8.89 |
|
Non-Officer Staff |
||
|
Grade |
||
|
Foreman (Craftsman) |
2 |
0.90 |
|
Assistant Foreman (Craftsman) |
1 |
0.79 |
|
Chargehand (Craftsman) |
1 |
0.90 |
|
Craftsman |
6 |
0.35 |
|
Craftsman's Mate |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Apprentice |
1 |
1.28 |
|
Road Overseer |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Labourer/General Op. |
51 |
0.79 |
|
Light Equipment Op. Category 2 |
2 |
0.94 |
|
Refuse Collector |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Ganger |
2 |
0.25 |
|
Foreman (Category 5) |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Driver Plant Op. A |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Driver Plant Op. B |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Mobile Library Assistant/Driver |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Waterworks Caretaker Grade 1 |
1 |
1.33 |
|
Waterworks Caretaker Grade 2 |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Waterworks Caretaker Grade 3 |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Waterworks Caretaker Grade 4 |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Waterworks Caretaker Grade 5 |
1 |
1.89 |
|
Firefighter |
11 |
0.42 |
|
Other Non-Officers |
1,430 |
32.91 |
|
Total |
1,509 |
7.62 |