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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 5 May 1988

Vol. 380 No. 3

Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Ministerial Appointments.

12.

asked the Minister for Labour the number of appointments he has made to boards or agencies operating under the aegis of his Department since he took office; and the number of women among these appointees.

Since I took office in March 1987 I have appointed 84 persons to boards and agencies under the aegis of my Department. Of these appointees 15 were women.

If I heard the Minister right, he said that 84 people have been appointed by himself, 15 of whom are women. How does the Minister reconcile this with the fact that the Employment Equality Agency is under his aegis? Has he had any response from the Employment Equality Agency on this subject?

I could have read the question in a different way and said that of the four chairpeople that I have appointed 50 per cent of them are women. That would have sounded better. I should also say in my own defence that unfortunately in the Department of Labour the Minister has to accept the names of nominating bodies. It is with great difficulty that we can get many of the nominating bodies to put forward a woman's name and therefore it is difficult for the Minister to appoint women and that is regrettable. Perhaps if those bodies put forward more women my statistics in this regard would be better. Needless to say, the chairperson that I appointed to the Employment Equality Agency is a woman.

I was going to take up the point made by the Minister for Labour which is that many of the appointments made by him are on the nomination of congress, the FUE or, in some instances, the National Youth Council. I wonder whether he has approached them and suggested that they have responsibilities in balancing their appointments as between men and women and also in having a significant number of young people among their appointments. The Minister can do something about inviting suitable submissions. Secondly, would the Minister agree to circulate the names of the 84 people, indicating in each case whether they were nominated or whether they are personal nominees.

That information is readily available. The answer to the first question is yes. It is fair to say that it is with great difficulty that we can get bodies to nominate women. Perhaps I will use the Dáil debate to try to put further pressure on them to do so.

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