If the Minister is committed to gender balance, why are the ten members appointed to the task force on port estates all men? Has the Government changed its policy on gender balance on State boards? The percentage of female representation on State boards decreased in the lifetime of this Government and two recent announcements would suggest there is a change of policy. Apart from this Minister's appointment of ten men out of the ten members of the task force on port estates, the Minister for Finance, Deputy McCreevy, recently appointed the National Pension Reserve Fund Commission and there was only one woman among its seven members . Campus Ireland, the overall body in that regard, has only two women members out of a total of 11. This Minister's appointment to the task force wins the prize as regards lack of female representation.
I welcome the fact that the Minister may be adding to that number. Is the Government committed to the policy of gender equality on State boards? Does the Minister intend to appoint women in his further consideration of the task force on port estates? Will he bring to Cabinet the fact that there does not seem to be a seriousness about achieving the percentages that are, as we are led to believe, part of Government policy? There seems to have been a serious slippage in this area.