Seanad debates

Wednesday, 15 April 2015

Commencement Matters

Third Level Staff

2:30 pm

Photo of Damien EnglishDamien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Higgins for raising this issue. The Minister apologises as she could not be present for this discussion. I acknowledge the serious shortcomings identified by the Equality Tribunal in its ruling last November. Discrimination against women in the workplace is unacceptable in any setting and the issues brought to light in the case in question are of serious concern to me and the Minister. For this reason, we have welcomed the response of NUI Galway in unreservedly accepting the ruling of the tribunal and establishing a task force to address related issues. The membership of the task force, which I understand met for the first time at the end of March, has the breadth of experience and expertise required to allow it to comprehensively examine all of the issues involved. It is now the responsibility of NUI Galway to engage with the student body and staff to ensure the task force has the broadest possible support for its important work.The Senator stated that is not the case and that there is not broad support for it. We have to address that, and we must get buy-in from all parties on this if its work is to be successful in the long term. Furthermore, we are satisfied that the ability of the task force to set its own terms of reference, and to operate independently of the management of the university, will allow it to provide strong and insightful advice on policies and practices relating to gender equality issues directly to the university's governing authority.

The requirement for gender equality is well-established in legislation. The Higher Education Authority, HEA, has a specific legislative role in "promoting the attainment of equality of opportunity in higher education". The Universities Act 1997 and the Institutes of Technology Act 2006 require our higher education institutions to promote gender balance and equality of opportunity among students and staff, and to prepare and implement statements of policy in respect of equality, including gender equality, across all of their activities. The HEA has a role in reviewing these policies across the higher education sector and is keeping the situation in NUI Galway under review.

More broadly, and as the Minister, Deputy O'Sullivan, noted in a previous discussion on this issue here in the Seanad on 10 March, the Higher Education Authority is actively considering how best to support the improvement of gender equality across the Irish higher education system as a whole and is developing a database of staff employed in the sector so that we can ensure gender equality at all levels within the academic profession in Ireland becomes a reality.

The data shows that here in Ireland women represent 43% of academic staff in the universities and institutes of technology but only 21% of professors and associate professors in universities are female. It is clear, therefore, that ensuring the fair representation and career progression of female academics is an issue which needs to be addressed. However, we also know that this is not a problem that is unique to Ireland. The European Commission's 2012 report, Gender in Research and Innovation,showed that across the EU member states, women represented only 20% of professorial staff. That is often a subject of discussion at our European Council meetings also. It is being recognised across Europe that it is an issue that must be addressed, and it will be addressed.

I would also like to acknowledge the positive role that initiatives such as the Athena Swan charter can play in ensuring that women receive the recognition they deserve in our higher education institutions and I am very pleased that all seven universities and 14 institutes of technology have signed up to this important initiative.

Returning to the particular situation in NUI Galway, I would urge all of the relevant stakeholders, including staff, the students and the unions, to engage as constructively as possible with the task force to ensure that it can succeed in its important work. The Senator stressed that there is not that co-operation. That is something we have to try to work on, and we might consult with her on that also.

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