Joe Walsh (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)

There is some great alliteration in this debate. If one was to visit my office in Agriculture House, one would find that the staff is entirely composed of women.

We are trying to have adequate, reasonable and appropriate gender balance which is what the Bill attempts. Subsection (9) states that we should have regard to the desirability of achieving appropriate gender balance. We want to appoint the best people for the job, as Senator Quinn mentioned. As Minister for Agriculture and Food, I meet regularly with representatives of the co-ops and co-op plcs. To the best of my knowledge, there is not a single woman at their top echelons, whether on committees, boards or the executive, although one of the main agri-food companies, IAWS, is an exception to that rule and has an exceptionally talented woman member of the board, with connections to this House.

The Minister of the day has a certain number of appointments to the new board. There are nominating bodies for various social partners and farming and food organisations. It is my experience that the gender balance issue is left to the Minister of the day. Not many examples can be given where nominating bodies nominate women and this applies to the trade unions also, which is to be regretted. I have always written to the nominating bodies asking them for a nominee and pointing out that I would like to have the gender balance observed and would welcome the appointment of women because, as Senator White pointed out, 51% or so of the workforce is made up of women. In many cases, they are very talented people and I would like to give expression to that on State boards. I have tried to do that as far as possible. There is a limit, however, in most of the agriculture and food boards where a substantial number of places are made up by nominating bodies. The Minister is then limited in what he or she can do.

The amendment is very discriminatory against men. I would have thought that in the interest of proper gender balance there would be at least six men included. If there are six women on the board——