Brendan Ryan (Labour)

I move amendment No. 4:

In page 13, lines 9 to 11, to delete subsection (14) and substitute the following new subsection:

"(14) Not less than 40% of the members of a Body shall be men and not less than 40% shall be women.".

The Cathaoirleach is proceeding very fast. In Ireland we always aspire to what is regarded as the best. We are discussing a series of bodies that to a large extent, though not exclusively, will ensure we have a society in addition to an economy, with all that implies in terms of family, free time, leisure, education and so on. Yet, we are prepared to contemplate a position where a minority, or perhaps none, of the members of any of the bodies would be female. This is unacceptable to my party and to myself. Incidentally, what is acceptable to my party and what is acceptable to me do not always overlap. I am disappointed that no reference is made in the Bill to a particular percentage of women that must be members of each body and so we move this amendment.

One of the most peculiar decisions of recent times was the omission of women from the original board of supervisors of the national pension fund, despite women needing pensions more than men because they tend to live longer. I do not believe this was because there were no suitably qualified women, it was because the area of high finance is a macho, male-dominated area of society. More business deals are probably struck in men-only golf clubs than anywhere else. It is a pity that something as soft-focused as this, however important it might be, does not provide for specific quotas. I look forward to the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, Deputy Tom Kitt, explaining why women are important and should be on these boards but do not require a quota guaranteeing a certain level of presence.