Vol. 562 No. 6
93 Ms Burton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her attention has been drawn to the recent comments of the Minister of State at her Department that it was difficult to find women to fill positions on State boards; if this is the reason there are so few women appointed by the Government and its predecessor; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6847/03]
Our programme for Government has specific commitments aimed at improving gender equality in relation to State boards. In particular, it states that each public sector body should implement a structured programme to address imbalances in gender representation in management positions and that a minimum of 40% of state board nominations should be from each gender.
The constitution of several State boards is governed by statute. My colleagues in Government and I are, therefore, obliged to make numerous appointments based on the nominations we receive from the nominating bodies, which in turn limits our input in addressing any gender imbalances. However, corrective measures to redress gender imbalance on State boards are being undertaken and the Government is fully aware of its responsibility.
The Minister of State and I, as a member of Government, are committed to promoting gender equality and every effort is made to appoint the most suitable person to a position while bearing in mind the need to improve female representation on boards.
