Frances Fitzgerald
Ceist:125 Ms F. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Health if he will issue guidelines recommending that women would constitute at least 40 per cent of interview boards for medical and nursing posts.
Written Answers. - Composition of Interview Boards.
Appointments to senior posts in health boards are made following competitions organised by the Local Appointments Commission. The commission is statutorily independent in the performance of its duties and I have no role in determining the procedures in respect of individual competitions.
The making of other nursing and medical appointments is primarily a matter for individual employing authorities, that is health boards and publicly funded voluntary agencies. While I am fully supportive of the achievement of gender balance in all areas of the health services, I am also mindful of the need to ensure that interview boards are selected primarily on the basis of the skills and expertise of potential interviewers. All health agencies are equal opportunities employers and are required to fully comply with the law and good practice in ensuring that gender is not an issue in determining health service appointments.