Written Answers. - Departmental Staff.
Jan O'Sullivan
Question:
161
Ms O'Sullivan
asked the
Minister for Finance
the measures which have been implemented to ensure progress towards a greater balance of men and women in middle and senior management grades in the Civil Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[14917/00]
The report Gender Equality in the Civil Service is the outcome of research commissioned as part of the ongoing development of human resources management policies under the strategic management initiative, SMI, in the Civil Service. Delivering Better Government, DBG, noted that while the Civil Service had been to the forefront in developing and implementing policies to achieve greater equality of opportunity, nevertheless women employees remained concentrated at lower levels. In view of the need to redress the imbalance, DBG recommended that appropriate strategies be put in place. It was in this context that research was commissioned on the under representation of women in the grades at and above HEO level.
The main research findings, together with a package of measures based on the recommend ations in the report, were endorsed by the Government and were presented by the Taoiseach and myself at the launch of the current phase of the strategic management initiative for the Civil Service in July, 1999.
The key elements of these measures are: the development and adoption of a new equality policy; a programme of affirmative action in the main human resource policy areas of recruitment, placement and mobility, training and development, promotion, work and family responsibilities, language and sexual harassment and policy delivery; the adoption of strategic objective setting at individual Department/office level, including the setting of increasingly specific equality goals, to be achieved over a stated period of time; new equality structures to be put in place, both locally and centrally, to support implementation of the policy; and the adoption of a communications strategy for implementation.
Work on the development and implementation of these measures is currently under way. A high level gender equality management group, chaired by Ms Josephine Feehily, Revenue Commissioner, is in the process of developing a new gender equality policy and framework programme of affirmative action for equality, in accordance with best standards of equal opportunities practices. A key element of the approach which the group is developing is the concept of strategic objective setting, whereby Departments and offices will be required to set for themselves increasingly specific goals for greater representation of women, particularly at middle and senior management grades. These goals will be realistic but challenging, will be based on increased female participation, will operate within the law and will not involve any deviation from the merit principle for selection.
An essential part of the process will be discussions with the staff and unions on the implementation of the new policy and framework programme, in accordance with the approach adopted to SMI proposals generally. Work on drafting the new gender equality policy and framework programme of affirmative action is at an advanced stage and should be completed shortly. Discussions with the unions will commence as soon as the group has completed its deliberations.
