Maria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to be associated with the condolences extended to our colleague, Senator Currie, her mother, Annita, and the extended Currie family on the passing of Austin. I had the pleasure of working with him when he ran in the presidential campaign back in the 1980s. I knew him to be a thorough gentleman. He brought so much to the office of the Minister of State but also in terms of his work as a Deputy, and his work on the North in the past. I am thinking of all of his family at this sad time.

I welcome the motion that was passed recently in the Dáil. The motion was proposed by Deputy Carroll MacNeill and concerned the establishment of a committee on gender equality. The figures are stark and are as follows: women only accounted for 22.5% of Deputies - there is a better percentage in the Seanad; women in Ireland effectively work for free for the last 14.4% of the year; women accounted for 22.4% of board members; and 19% of Irish companies have no female directors. Those statistics are frightening. A committee would be a step in the right direction and I would like it established as soon as possible. I seek the support of this House on the establishment of a committee in terms of securing gender equality and equality for all.