Vol. 559 No. 1
50 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Finance the reason there are no women on the board of the Central Bank, having regard to the Government's stated commitment to a gender balance of 40% in regard to all such appointments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25543/02]
The board of the Central Bank provides necessary strategic direction to the bank. The board must be clearly seen as independent of the Government in the exercise of this and other functions. My main aim in making appointments to the board of the Central Bank is, therefore, to select persons with the required qualities and attributes to make a contribution and who can be seen to be independent of Government in the performance of their functions.
I might, perhaps, explain that the board of the Central Bank comprises the Governor, who is an ex officio member and nine other directors. One director is the Secretary General of my Department and is appointed by me on an ex officio basis.
Of the remaining eight directors, four were initially appointed prior to my taking office as Minister, but their appointments were renewed on the basis of their previous satisfactory service. The remaining four directors, all male, were appointed by me on the basis that they would be likely to make a valuable contribution to the work of the board.
I am, of course, mindful of the Government's commitment to achieving a greater gender balance on the boards of State bodies and I have regard to that factor as vacancies arise on the board of the Central Bank.
I thank the Minister for his reply. I really want to know if it is a "guy" thing, that out of 12 members of the board of the Central Bank—
There are only ten in total.
Plus the chair and the secretary?
Including the chair and the secretary.
There are no women.
The Deputy knows I never like to deceive people.
The Minister knows as well as I that the country is coming down with qualified women.
The Deputy should ask a question.
The Government could supply members. It has issued a policy statement to the effect that it wishes to see 40% female membership on boards. However, there are no women on the board of the Central Bank, despite the fact that women grace every other office in this country, not to mention the hundreds of thousands of women who have experience in law, accounting and finance, and all those women who have significant experience in terms of managing the upbringing of children and looking after elderly people, all of whom could give the Minister the independent advice of which he spoke. I have a score card here that might interest the Minister. It states that the board of the Central Bank has ten members, none of whom are women; the national pensions reserve fund—
The Deputy is giving information. She should seek information, not give it.
—which is managing millions of euro has seven members, one of whom is a woman; and "An Bord Snip", or the three wise men, has three men and no women. That makes 20 appointments, of which one is a woman.
The Deputy is out of order.
Will the Minister, even for Christmas, change his ways and give the women of Ireland a chance to give him the independent advice he so obviously needs regarding financial affairs?
It will hardly surprise Deputy Burton – I am in great danger of not living up to my national image – that I happen to agree with her.
The Minister has done nothing about it.
Women can make an enormous contribution to these boards.
Where are they?
I had better not say more or I will spoil my reputation with the media. I agree with Deputy Burton, but when appointing members to the board of the Central Bank, I tried to appoint people I considered to have the necessary stature and calibre. I am certain there are many women who would adequately fulfil these requirements. It is a matter of judgment and choice and whom I consider appropriate at the time. Appointments to the board of the Central Bank are important and in my time as Minister I appointed people whom I considered to be the best available. My predecessor and former leader of the Labour Party, Deputy Quinn, did not appoint any women to the board of the Central Bank either, and perhaps he would trumpet his great qualifications in this regard. However, I will bear in mind what the Deputy has said in making future appointments. I am sure Deputy Burton would agree that boards need not necessarily have a fixed proportion of either men or women but that the best people should be appointed.
It is Government policy that there should be 40% of each gender. We do not want to see all-women boards. We want to see roughly 40% men or women.
It is not my Government's policy. Does the Deputy remember which Minister initiated that policy?
Yes.
Who was he?
The Minister should tell me.
It was former Deputy Mervyn Taylor who, when he was Minister, put that proposal to Government. Deputy Quinn must have forgotten that when he made appointments in his time as Minister. Deputy Quinn has forgotten many things.
When will the Minister start appointing women to "An Bord Snip", the three wise men? Why not appoint one wise woman? If it is the intention to shred public investment and re-impose college fees, could we not have women participating in decision making? The Minister has stated that he needs independent advice. There are many intelligent, strong, independent women who could give him good advice, and he desperately needs it after this budget.
I am not short of advice. People seem concerned not about the advice but that I do not follow it. I agree with what Deputy Burton has said and I will certainly bear it in mind.
