Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I support the sentiment behind all that has been expressed. Having been a member of the previous Government, I know that there was a concerted attempt to ensure more equality in the appointment of members of State boards, for example. Ministers and Secretaries General were always very much conscious of the need to ensure that if three or four appointments to a State board were to be made, there would be at the very least a 50-50 gender balance. That is important. There is a recognition within the Government that this is absolutely necessary, including in the appointment of judges, where we also see gender balance reflected. While all of that is absolutely relevant to the commission, it is relevant also to the wider area of State boards. Perhaps the Minister could consider enshrining some of these issues in a piece of legislation on appointments to State boards, including the board of this commission. That would be a good piece of work.