The Deputy will be aware from my reply to Question No. 76 that my Department adheres fully to Government policy in relation to gender proofing and that I have been very conscious of the need to achieve gender balance on boards under the aegis of my Department. Specific initiatives which I have taken in this regard include the insertion in the Broadcasting Authority (Amendment) Act, 1993, [Section 7.1 (a)] of a requirement that where the membership of the RTE Authority is seven, not less than three shall be men and not less than three shall be women. Where the membership is eight or nine, not less than four shall be men and not less than four shall be women. Likewise, a provision is contained in the Heritage Act, 1995 (paragraph 2(1) of the Schedule to the Act), which states that of the members of the Heritage Council not fewer than seven shall be men and not fewer than seven shall be women. In addition, the Cultural Institutions Bill, 1997, which is presently before the House, contains a broadly similar provision in regard to the National Library and National Museum.
With regard to specific financial initiatives to benefit women the position is that the broad range of assistance provided by my Department is for the benefit of women and men equally. I should mention, however, that my Department provided specific grants of £100,000 and £15,000 in 1995 and 1996 respectively to the Irish Women's Archive and Resource Centre.