Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

We must be pragmatic and sensible. The argument was made when I brought forward the HIQA Bill that 70% of the members of the board would end up being female by virtue of the positions they held. Being over-prescriptive is not the way to go. I was in Norway last week. Eight of the 17 Ministers are female owing to the quota system. Therefore, a woman in the Norwegian Parliament has a great chance of becoming a Minister, as there is almost always a position in the Cabinet. There are wider cultural and societal issues as to why trade union representatives are often male in professions dominated by women. I am sure Mr. Liam Doran will not mind me mentioning the fact that he is secretary general of the Irish Nurses Organisation. Mr. Des Kavanagh is general secretary of the Irish Psychiatric Nursing Association. Women are in the majority in the electorate for these roles. In appointing members it would be my intention to strike a good gender balance in so far as possible.