Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 September 2012
863. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps she is taking to ensure that State boards have at least 40% of each gender, as provided for in the programme for Government; the percentage at present; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39159/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe three statutory bodies under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection are the Citizens Information Board, the Social Welfare Tribunal and the Pensions Board. In addition, the Office of the Pensions Ombudsman (which does not have a board) comes under the remit of the Department. When filling vacancies on the boards of these bodies, every effort is made to comply with the target of having at least 40% of each gender represented on a board.
The relevant legislative provisions governing the membership of the Citizens Information Board require that not less than 6 of the 15 members must be female, while not less than 6 must be male. This is 40% in each case. 42% of the current Citizens Information Board members are female, with three vacancies due to be filled.
While members of the Pensions Board are appointed by the Minister for Social Protection, there is also a requirement that the members appointed must be representative of various interests involved. For instance, appointments to the Pensions Board are subject to the conditions set out in Section 9 and the First Schedule of the Pensions Act 1990. These conditions specify that all members of the Board are appointed by the Minister for Social Protection under the provisions of the Act and must comprise representatives of trade unions, employers, consumer interests, pensioner interests, the Government, the pensions industry, member trustees and professional groups involved with pension arrangements. Within this selection process due regard has been paid to date to ensure that the target of 40% female representation on the Pensions Board is met. Currently, the gender breakdown of serving members on the Pensions Board is 47% female and 53% male.
The Social Welfare Tribunal deals with cases where entitlement to jobseeker's benefit or jobseeker's allowance is refused due to an involvement in a trade dispute and where claimants feel that they have been unreasonably deprived of employment because their employer has refused or failed to follow the negotiating machinery available for settling disputes. The Tribunal comprises a chairperson and four ordinary members who are representative of employees and employers. Accordingly, two of the members are nominated by ICTU and the other two members are nominated by IBEC.
When seeking nominations for the ordinary members of the Tribunal from both ICTU and IBEC every effort is made to ensure that the nominations adhere to the Government's gender balance policy. The current Tribunal has one female member (20%).
