Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 July 2013
488. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the present gender balance of the total members of State boards under the aegis of his Department; if the ratio has changed significantly over the course of the present Government's term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36789/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraInformation in respect of gender balance on Boards of agencies under my Department’s aegis for the years 2007 to 2012 is set out in the table below:
|
End Year Figure |
Total Board Membership |
Men* |
Women* |
% Women |
|
2007 |
272 |
167 |
96 |
37 |
|
2008 |
281 |
174 |
101 |
37 |
|
2009 |
241 |
149 |
84 |
36 |
|
2010 |
259 |
152 |
90 |
37 |
|
2011 |
278 |
172 |
91 |
35 |
|
2012 |
158 |
98 |
49 |
33 |
* Total numbers of male and female Board members do not take account of vacancies arising on some Boards.
Under the Department’s agency rationalisation programme, 21 agencies have been reduced to 10 through a series of measures , with a consequent reduction in Board membership from 281 in 2011 to 158 at the end of 2012, representing a decrease of 123 or 43%. I anticipate that this will be further reduced when agency numbers fall to eight bodies , with the Government decision to wind up t he operations of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) by the end of 2013 and with the merging of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland by mid-2014.
