Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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297. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the gender quota targets for the boards of State bodies and agencies under their remit; the level reached to date; and their future plans to meet and maintain the targets. [32766/14]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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As the Deputy is aware in 2011 the Government introduced new arrangements for the appointment of State board members.  Under the new arrangements Departments now invite expressions of interest from the public in vacancies on the boards of bodies under their aegis on their websites. It is open to all members of the public regardless of gender, political affiliations or geographical location to apply for appointment to these vacancies. 

I am satisfied that the new arrangements introduced by the Government in 2011 have significantly improved transparency in the making of appointments to State boards compared with the making of appointments in previous years. 

Since the formation of this Government 22 members have been nominated to State boards under my remit, 23% of which were female.  In view of the statutory procedures for the appointment of members of the Civil Service Arbitration Board and the Public Appointments Service, there is limited scope for me to take a factor such as gender into account when I make such appointments.  

I would like to make it clear that it is my intention in the limited number of appointments I have to make to increase the number of women appointees over the lifetime of the Government. The following table gives a breakdown of the gender balance of positions filled on State boards under my remit from 2011 to date:

** The Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act, 2004 states that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (in consultation with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, the Minister for Health and the Minister for Justice and Equality) should appoint members of the Board of the Public Appointments Service.

The Board is meant to be representative of our client base.  The majority of the board is therefore civil or public servants, nominated by the relevant Minister.  There is also a union representative nominated by ICTU.  The two external members were appointed by the Minister because of their expertise in strategic change and public service recruitment respectively.

*** The CEO of PAS is appointed to the Board on an ex officio basis.