Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

It should not have been necessary to table this amendment. Every Government-sponsored Bill providing for the appointment of members to a board, authority, council etc. should contain the requirement for the appointment, through affirmative action, of at least 40% of either gender serving on the board. That should be expected of Government. That we must repeatedly and continuously make the argument is a damning indictment of the Government's failure over the past ten years to employ affirmative action to ensure there is every opportunity for women to play a role not only on such bodies but at the heads of such bodies.

Any cursory look at the make-up of the vast majority of care providers in the health and social care provision areas will reveal that the overwhelming number of them are women. Are we to anticipate once again the oft-trundled out reply rejecting the arguments behind such an amendment? It is long past time that the Government grasped the nettle and acknowledged that the only way to ensure that women will have the opportunity to play a full participatory role in such bodies is through such a provision in legislation. The authority in question is a particular authority where we should adopt this approach. Who among us will say that women cannot aspire to hold up to at least 40% of the posts on this board? It beggars belief that anyone would defend the view that would leave us in a situation where the overwhelming number, if not all, would be men. I join Deputy McManus in appealing to the Minister of State to turn the corner on this issue through this legislation. I therefore commend the amendment to him.

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