Michael Kitt (Fianna Fail)

——openness and the debate so far I genuinely empathise but empathy is not great is this case. Certainly I can stand over decisions I made in the area of gender balance in previous Ministries. Following on from what Senator Moylan has said the Taoiseach's letter, which can be accessed by Members, refers to a requirement on all nominating bodies to State boards to nominate both male and female members for such appointments. The letter ends by stating that the Government is committed to a policy of gender equality in making appointments to State bodies and State boards. In the letter, which was written by his private secretary, the Taoiseach has asked that a nominating body, under the NESDO Bill, wherever possible one would take this as well as the views of the select committee and the Government decision — and obviously the debate here — into consideration when nominations are sought in due course. This objective has the support of the Taoiseach's message as a result of the debate in the Dáil, which has been replicated here. I am confident this issue will be taken seriously and we will certainly monitor it.