Vol. 536 No. 6
117 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the steps he intends to take to ensure greater compliance by Government Departments with Government guidelines relating to gender balance in regard to appoint ments to State boards or bodies in view of the fact that so many are failing to meet the 40% quota; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15017/01]
I am anxious that more progress is made towards reaching the target of a minimum of 40% of both men and women on State boards. My Department is reviewing the matter at present and I hope to be in a position to bring proposals to Cabinet shortly.
The background to the 40% target is that guidelines in the form of a Government decision taken in March, 1993 were issued to all Departments. The Government decided that Ministers should endeavour to have a minimum of 40% of both men and women among the chairs of boards of State bodies and among other persons nominated by Ministers to State bodies under their aegis. The Government further decided that all Ministers should advise bodies nominating persons to boards under their aegis of the Government's gender balance policy and ask them formally to follow a similar practice. These guidelines were extended in March, 1995 to include advisory committees, visiting committees, committees of a temporary nature etc.
Each Minister is responsible for implementing the Government's gender balance policy in his or her own area. My Department monitors the progress in appointing women to State boards on a quarterly basis and keeps the situation under review. The figures for membership of State boards on 31 December, 2000, show that 28% of the total serving membership were women. This figure needs to be broken down between persons nominated by Ministers and those nominated by others. In the case of ministerial nominees, 34% were women. In the case of nominees by other bodies, 21% were women. Women comprised 18% of chairs of boards. With regard to appointments made over the year 2000, 36% of the persons nominated by Ministers were women and 24% of those nominated by other bodies were women.
