Professor Yvonne Galligan:

I thank the Senator for her questions and I can link a couple of them because there is a little bit of overlap and similarity in them. On the 40% on corporate boards, the agenda in Ireland has moved on a little bit since my submission, which was in February. Since that point in time Senator Higgins tabled a Private Members' Bill in 2021 and subsequently the EU came to an agreement and there is now a political directive on 40% gender quotas. The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, accepted the Private Members' Bill that was put forward by Senator Higgins and that will progress. That is the way forward and I agree with the Senator wholeheartedly.

That measure can be accompanied in another way by measures that then require all bodies that look for public funding or that are required to achieve certain legislative measures to have gender equality plans and publish them. That is the model and strength of the Athena SWAN programme, which is in operation across the higher education sector. That programme has not been long in existence; it is only since about 2014 or 2015 that it has been in Irish higher education but it has had a transformative effect on same and has enabled a spotlight to be put on the positives and the needs and challenges for change around gender equality and higher education. The key to it, apart from a close audit, is the publication of plans to advance gender equality in the organisation. I note that is a recommendation that is made by the assembly under recommendation 22 and State boards could be doing the same thing, as could corporate boards.

There are measures that can be taken in that regard. The more diverse a decision-making body and the more diverse viewpoints that are part of the decision-making process then research shows that the more robust those decisions are the better for that organisation and that society. That is clearly indicated in research. Both diversity and quality are partners in this, rather than sacrificing quality for diversity. The old argument is that one cannot have more women or people of other backgrounds because they will dilute quality, which is not the case. In fact diversity enhances the quality of the performance and outcomes of an organisation.