Vol. 453 No. 6
11 Kathleen Lynch asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform the average percentage of women serving on boards of State companies in each of the years 1990 to 1994; the proposals, if any, he has to increase the number of women serving; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9751/95]
The information, in the form sought by the Deputy, is not readily available and it would take a disproportionate amount of time to compile.
In August 1988 women comprised 12.6 per cent of the membership of State boards and, in February 1992, 15.2 per cent. In March 1993 the Government set the objective of achieving 40 per cent gender balance for direct Government-ministerial appointments to State boards over a four year time horizon. Nominating bodies were asked to aim for this objective also. In mid-1993 18.5 per cent of total board members were women and this figure increased to 20.9 per cent in mid-1994. In February 1995 women represented 23.6 per cent of the total serving membership — 28.9 per cent of ministerial nominees were women.
I will continue to monitor the progress being made in this area.
I am not a great fan of the quota system. I tabled this question in order to find out what progress has been made in the light of the Government's good intentions and the commitment to having 40 per cent representation by women on State boards. I understand the reasons for a gradual increase in the number of appointments of women rather than appointing 40 per cent at any one time, but I find it difficult to understand the lack of progress in an area over which the Government has complete control in regard to appointments. How many State boards have been appointed since 1993? What is the level of female participation on those boards?
The only board of which I have knowledge is the one I appointed within recent weeks, that is the Civil Legal Aid board. The Deputy will recall that the previous board was 100 per cent male, and the term of office of that board came to an end a few weeks ago. The new board, appointed by me, is made up of 50 per cent men and 50 per cent women, and the chairperson is a woman. I would remind the Deputy that ministerial nominees to State boards account for something less than 50 per cent of the total board membership. If we are to make substantial progress in this — and we are making very substantial progress so far as the actual ministerial and Government appointees are concerned — at least equal progress has to be made in the appointments made by the nominating bodies which, as I said, comprise something over 50 per cent of the appointments to these boards. In many cases that level of compliance in following the lead set by the Government has not been achieved and ongoing effort by my Department and other Ministers is required in that direction. The utmost pressure is being bought to bear and appointing bodies are being told when making their nominations, particularly where more than one appointment is concerned, that they should comply with the standards set by the Government themselves in this regard.
The Minister's reply gives me some kind of hope in this area. Where the Government has the power to appoint an entire board I am glad to see that it is 50:50. I would not like to see dominance of any kind. I ask the Minister to ensure that nominating bodies who do not comply with the guidelines set down by the Government in this case, should incur some kind of penalty or be made to experience the Government's displeasure.
I note the Deputy's suggestion that perhaps there should be a penalty for nominating bodies that do not comply. That is something that would have to be looked at very carefully. At the moment I am concentrating on applying pressure and making requests to the nominating bodies. They are responsible organisations, bodies like IBEC and ICTU and various other organisations of that calibre who have nominating rights to many of those State boards. If the appropriate pressures are brought to bear I am hopeful we can make progress on a voluntary basis in that regard.
The Minister is to be commended in this area. Would he agree that it was necessary, in the early stages at least, to have a quota system and that that has helped to accelerate the representation of women on these boards? I would like to commend the Minister on the work he has been doing in this area although, of course, there has been a general support for that approach from 1988. I believe the House should commend the Minister on what he has achieved to date and I ask him to keep up the good work in that regard.
I certainly intend to do that and I thank the Deputy. I appreciate that comment.
We should commend the Minister on bringing up the ministerial average to 28.9 per cent of appointees. Is the Minister aware of a degree of resistance on the part of certain bodies to appointing women to boards and would he agree that some form of censure should be available? Will he consider that and has he any ideas on what form that might take?
I would not like to comment on that. I do not think we have reached that point yet. As regards resistance in some quarters to the appointment of women, I would have to say that in some quarters perhaps there is not the degree of compliance that I personally would wish but the Government is continuing its efforts to set its own example in this regard and to apply every possible pressure on all the nominating bodies where it is necessary to convince them that there are women well qualified and available to fulfil any role on any State board if they are minded to seek them out. That is an ongoing process. We are achieving modestly improving results so far as the nominating bodies are concerned. Bit by bit the message is getting through and I am hopeful that we can achieve the necessary results on a voluntary basis. I do not think we need consider the question of sanctions or penalties at this point.
