Vol. 533 No. 6
44 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Finance when the proposed gender equality policy initiative aimed at increasing the number of women in higher level jobs within the Civil Service will be introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9744/01]
54 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Finance the progress which has been made regarding the implementation of equality objectives and development of a programme of affirmative action based on the guidelines, Making it Happen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8726/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 44 and 54 together.
Research on gender imbalance in the Civil Service at HEO level and above, commissioned as part of the SMI process, and published in 1999, showed that women were under-represented at senior management levels in the Civil Service and that progress towards a better balance of men and women in those grades had been minimal in the ten year period from 1987 to 1997. The report identified the under-representation of women in the assistant principal grade as a particular obstacle to the advancement of women to senior management levels within the Civil Service.
The main research findings, together with a package of measures based on the recommendations 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.
A key element of these measures was the development and adoption of a new equality policy. A high level Gender Equality Management Group, chaired by Ms Josephine Feehily, Revenue Commissioner, is at an advanced stage of developing a new gender equality policy for the Civil Service. The group has decided to produce three separate documents relating to revised policy and procedures for addressing gender equality. The three documents are: a new gender equality policy; a guide for Departments on affirmative action entitled "Making it Happen" and an outline of mechanisms for the allocation of responsibility, accountability and monitoring in respect of gender equality.
In June 2000, the Government approved the new gender equality policy in principle and directed that consultations with the staff unions on the implementation of the new policy should begin. At the same time, the Taoiseach announced that the Government had set a target of one third of posts at Assistant Principal level to be filled by women within five years.
The consultations with the staff unions are now at an advanced stage and I expect that they will be concluded shortly. The new gender equality policy should, therefore, come into effect early this summer. In anticipation of the policy, Departments have been asked to adopt increasingly specific strategic objectives and equality goals, to be published as part of each Department's annual strategy statement, with a view to achieving the one third target at assistant principal level over the next five years and to increasing the representation of women at all grades above that of assistant principal during the same period.
