Michael Ahern (Cork East, Fianna Fail)

The Government has committed in the programme for Government and Sustaining Progress to achieving a minimum of 40% representation of women on State boards. In July 2002, all Ministers were asked to review the gender balance composition of the State boards and committees under the aegis of their Departments and to take measures to redress gender balances. On 26 January 2005, the Government decided that all nominating bodies should be required to put forward male and female candidates for appointments to State boards for which they are the nominating authority. All Ministers were requested to put in place the necessary procedures to implement the Government decision.

Following these decisions, female membership on State boards increased from 22% in December 2004 to 34% at the end of September 2005, reflecting the upward curve in female participation in State boards since June 2002, when the figure was 29%. A total of 38% of appointments to State boards made during 2005 were women, compared with 33% in 2004 so one can say that the situation is moving towards the 40% target. I will raise with the Companies Registration Office the suggestion by Deputy Quinn that it check each annual return to see the percentage of male and female members on boards.

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