andMr. G. Fitzgerald asked the Taoiseach if he is satisfied that there has been no prejudice against the appointment of women to the posts of Deputy CAO (Education); and if he is aware that a number of women have done a large number of interviews and no woman has yet been appointed, although they have the full qualifications for the position.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - CAO Posts.
2.
I am satisfied that, on the part of the Local Appointments Commission, there is no question of prejudice against the appointment of women to posts as Deputy Chief Agricultural Officer (Education).
I am aware that the overall percentage of women candidates for those posts is very low.
Would the Taoiseach not regard it as strange that, seeing that so many services under the committees of agriculture are provided by women at non-promotional level, none of them has succeeded in getting promotion to the post of Deputy CAO?
That is a slightly separate question. I understand that, over the past two years, out of 27 vacancies only 6 per cent of the total candidates have been women and, in three out of the six competitions involved, the interview boards have been chaired by a woman.