Déirdre de Búrca (Green Party)

I second the motion. I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I welcome my party's Private Members' motion. As a member of a party that is committed to the whole process of political reform, this motion is very much in keeping with the Green Party's approach to that issue. On the day after a very difficult budget was announced, if we examine some of the provisions of that budget we can see that a process of political reform, or some of the steps that will lead to what I believe is a significant process of political reform, is in train. I believe the public will recognise that, despite the fact that so many other elements of the budget are causing a great deal of hardship and concern.

The Green Party, as a party of Government, should be an active agent in the process of bringing about political reform. We have had many debates in this House on the issue of Seanad reform. I have no doubt that the Government will leave a legacy of political reform and I hope the Green Party will have made a significant contribution to that.

Regarding the motion before the House, I want to focus on the important issue of gender balance in the way in which public appointments, in particular appointments to State boards, are made. I will begin by outlining the commitments the Government has made in the programme for Government. They include achieving a minimum of 40% representation of women on State boards. In July 2002, all Ministers were asked to review the gender balance composition of State boards and committees under the aegis of their Departments and to take measures to redress gender imbalances where the 40% target has not been reached.

In January 2005, the Government decided all nominating bodies should be required to nominate both male and female options for those appointments to State boards where they are the responsible authority but in December 2007, under this Government, Ministers agreed to take proactive steps to ensure that their nominations, and the nominations made by external bodies to boards under the aegis of their Departments, continue to reflect the Government's commitment to achieve representation of at least 40% by persons of each gender on State boards to advance the goal of equal participation of women and men in decision making. All Ministers were requested to put in place the necessary procedures to implement the Government decisions. Progress on this issue is reported to Government at six-monthly intervals. However, as I will argue later, there remains a real need for overall reform of the current system of appointments to State boards.

Why should we reform that system? The current system means that places on State boards are filled by ministerial appointment. That is a form of political patronage. It is anti-democratic and unaccountable. Although we tend to hear mainly about the influential boards such as the Dublin Transport Authority or the Broadcasting Authority, there are hundreds of executive and non-executive State boards spread throughout the country.

On the question of gender balance and diversity, despite the Government's commitment to achieving a minimum of 40% representation of women on State boards, the participation rate currently stands at 34%. In December 2009, the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform released the following figures for 2007: total number of State boards included was 278; total number of positions on these boards was 3,804; total number of female members on these boards was 1,293, approximately one third of the members, or 34%; the number of female chairpersons in 2007 stood at 44, or 17%; and during 2007, 1,082 appointments were made to State boards. These included 386 women, representing 36% of new appointments.

The current system also militates against increasing diversity on State boards as candidates are generally drawn from within political and civil society circles. Given the changes in the make-up of Irish society in recent years, it is important that our State boards reflect that. Any new system devised could build both gender targets and general diversity targets. This is the case in the United Kingdom.

On the issue of skills and meritocracy, it appears that although many Ministers try to ensure a good mix of skills and background on State boards, where this is not set down in legislation the process tends to be arbitrary. A new system would ensure that appointments to State boards are filled by those with the necessary skills and background.

In terms of the kind of new system we should establish, there are many models we can examine, including the UK, the system proposed in the Green Party Private Members' Bill published in 2006 and the system established by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Eamon Ryan, in the Broadcasting Bill 2008. However, any new system must be based on the following principles: merit; transparency; equality; and diversity of skills and background. The new system should be independent, efficient, proportional, flexible and fair. It should be able to administer appointments to all types of boards, executive and non-executive, prestigious and less prestigious.

In the light of current financial pressures, however, we must be careful that any new system we devise is efficient and not too costly. Some proposals might include that the Oireachtas, either through the Dáil and the Seanad or through committees, could have a role in the process. For example, it could draw up guidelines and procedures or have a reviewing role. For the more important boards, such as the Dublin Transport Authority, the Oireachtas could be given the power to nominate candidates. A special unit could be set up within the Public Appointments Service or the Standards in Public Office Commission which could establish, monitor, approve and carry out appointments procedures and codes of practices. It would advertise positions publicly. A system similar to that in Britain and Northern Ireland could be established, where a commission provides the framework, guidelines and training to Departments, which then carry out the appointments process, including advertising. The commission also has a monitoring function, ensuring that diversity targets are met and the independent process is adhered to. It would be possible to devise a system which incorporates many of the features I have outlined in a way that is efficient, not too costly and independent. It could also ensure a role for the Oireachtas.

There is a danger that a certain amount of fatigue has set in on balanced gender representation in all areas of public life, particularly in State appointments. Just because the political challenge has existed for many decades does not mean that we should not tackle the challenge with renewed vigour. The Green Party is calling today for the Government, of which it is a part, to adopt a new reforming approach to ensuring gender balance in appointments to State boards and commits itself to achieving the targets set out in the programme for Government as speedily as possible.

The economic cost of such a system has been considered and little funding would be needed to establish such a system based on the recommendations made today. We need a new system for public appointments and if the Government achieves that it will be an enduring legacy for which the State will thank us.