Vol. 518 No. 1
41 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands the steps she is taking to ensure a better gender balance among senior staff in her Department having regard to the findings of the SMI report that the Department had the lowest level of women at higher levels; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10898/00]
I am aware that there is a low level of females in senior positions in my Department. My Department is an amalgamation of divisions transferred from other Departments and the ratio of senior females who transferred into the Department was indeed very low. I have no control over the appointments made by the Civil Service and Local Appointments Commission or by TLAC. We are mindful of the need to redress the balance and every effort is being made to do so by encouraging female staff to apply for promotion to the more senior positions as the vacancies arise.
I thank the Minister. Given that female staff fill 17.5% of senior positions in her Department, does she agree that this position should be addressed by way of positive discrimi nation in some form or other? The SMI report from which I received my information made recommendations such as monitoring recruitment. What is her view of that proposal and of ensuring that gender is not a factor in placement geographically or within the Department? Does the Minister agree that there appears to be a need to improve management skills generally in the Department? The low promotion rate among female staff indicates a deficit in this regard.
The points I have made revolve around one issue – is this situation so bad it requires positive discrimination to address the imbalance?
The Deputy will be aware that I have no control over the appointments made by the Civil Service and Local Appointments Commission or TLAC. However, on the formation of the Department, staff were drawn from other Departments. The original Department of the Gaeltacht existed until 1993 and had one secretary and one assistant secretary, both male, and in January 1993 the arts and culture division and the broadcasting policy division transferred from the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Communications respectively to form the new Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht. One male assistant secretary was assigned to the new Department. The heritage service was transferred from the Office of Public Works in 1996 and the current Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands was established, with one assistant secretary, also male, transferring from the Office of Public Works. I agree with the Deputy that there seems to be a deficit of females at the higher level of the Department, but I hope to see this trend reversed over time. My policy adviser, who was a principal officer in the civil service, is female.
Bearing in mind that proficiency in the Irish language is probably more of a prerequisite for senior positions in the Minister's Department than in others, has competency in Irish any bearing on this imbalance? I would have thought that generally females would be more proficient in the Irish language than males.
Now, now.
How many senior positions require full competence in Irish and to what degree has this impacted on the situation?
I am sure the Deputy does not mean it, but it is a rather sexist comment to imply that only males have a proficiency in Irish.
I said the opposite.
I warned him.
Did Deputy O'Shea change his opinion on Deputy Kenny's advice?
I meant it in the opposite way.
I accept that I misheard and that the Deputy did not mean such an inference, particularly as Deputy Kenny wishes to make it known that he influenced Deputy O'Shea's decision.
The Civil Service and Local Appointments Commission and TLAC decide on these appointments and obviously proficiency in Irish plays an important role. It would be odd for anyone to state that it was less likely that one would find proficiency in Irish among female staff. There are other difficulties that should be addressed. I have no influence over the top positions – that is the business of the Civil Service and Local Appointments Commission or TLAC, but where I have influence I will do all I can to encourage female participation and I hope to see an improvement in female representation up the ranks of the Department.
