Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests for being with us. I echo some of the comments made by my colleague, Senator Pauline O'Reilly, particularly on the progress we have made in the past two years. In the room next door to us one of the last groups of workers who have no protection for maternity leave, namely, local authority members, are being granted it through new legislation. Pre-legislative scrutiny on that Bill is taking place next door. Progress is being made but there is still an awful lot more to do.

It is interesting that the citizens' assembly recommendations were around gender-neutral recruitment. I am conscious of industries where there is a low number of people of one gender. To be very stereotypical, we might take the construction sector which has low female participation or some of the caring professions where there is low male participation. Does ICTU have any specific recommendations organisations could take on about gender-neutral recruitment?

On dispute resolution, does ICTU have any anecdotal evidence of whether those in the minority gender in a given field experience the dispute resolution procedures differently than their colleagues? I imagine there is discrimination at all levels but I am thinking about the understanding of how gender might play into the nature of any dispute, be it constructive dismissal, a Payment of Wages Act claim or whatever? Do the witnesses have any comment on that?