Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)
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Mar a bhí mé ag rá leis an Aire taobh amuigh, tá sé i gceist agam labhairt as Gaeilge amháin sna Tithe an tseachtain seo mar gheall ar Seachtain na Gaeilge agus mar chuid de thriall cearta teanga atá ar bun agam féin agus ag cuid de mo chomhghleacaithe. Tá mé thar a bheith buíoch don Aire faoi teacht isteach. Tá mé ag ardú ceist a bhaineann le Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh. Mar dhuine a fhreastal ar an ollscoil sin, tá ard-mheas agam ar an bhfoireann atá ag obair inti. Déanann formhór dóibh scoth na hoibre. Tá an ollscoil ag dul ó neart go neart. Is cinnte, áfach, go bhfuil riar mhaith ceisteanna tromchúiseacha tagtha chun cinn le tamall anuas maidir le cothromaíocht san ollscoil sin. Bhí cúpla cás an-mhór sna meáin le tamall anuas. Thóg mná éagsúla cásanna cúirte maidir le cothromaíocht. Tá cuid acu fós ag dul ar aghaidh. Le seachtain nó dhó anuas, tá sé tagtha chun cinn chomh maith go raibh ceistneoir á chur ar dhaoine a bhí ag cur isteach ar phostanna san ollscoil sin maidir le rudaí nach bhfuil baint ar bith acu, i ndáiríre, le post a thógáil - rudaí a bhain ó thaobh na mná de le fuil mhíosta, le deacrachtaí lena gcuid cíocha agus le breith clainne, srl. Tá an-iontas ar dhaoine go gcuirfí a leithéid de cheisteanna os comhair duine ar bith a bheadh ag cur isteach ar phost in aon áit.

Deirtear linn go bhfuil tascfhórsa bunaithe ag Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh leis an gceist seo a phlé. Tá deacrachtaí ag daoine áirithe sa réimse seo leis an tascfhórsa sin. Ar an gcéad dul síos, ba iad údaráis na hollscoile a chuir an tascfhórsa le chéile. Níl aon ionadaíocht ag na ceardchumainn - SIPTU agus IFUT - ar an tascfhórsa seo, cé gur iarr siad go mbeadh ionadaíocht acu. Níl an ionadaí ó na mic léinn le ceapadh go dtí amach anseo. Tá ceisteanna faoi sin. Tá ceisteanna níos bunúsaí le freagairt. An féidir le ollscoil iniúchadh a dhéanamh isteach iontu féin ó thaobh ceisteanna chomh tromchúiseacha le ceist na cothromaíochta? Tá mé den tuairim gur chóir go mbeadh fiosrúchán neamhspleách ar na ceisteanna seo. Dar liom, bheadh sé níos tapúla agus bheimid cinnte go mbeadh trédhearcacht agus oscailteacht iomlán ag baint leis seo. Tá daoine atá ag obair san ollscoil ag rá liom nach bhfuil mórán taithí ag an dream atá curtha ar an tascfhórsa seo i gcúrsaí cothromaíochta. Ceapann siad chomh maith go bhfuil baint ag cuid mhaith de na daoine atá curtha ar an tascfhórsa le bainistíocht na hollscoile, nó go raibh baint acu leis sin roimhe seo. Is dóigh leo gur cineál "insiders" atá iontu. Dá bhrí sin, tá cuid mhaith den fhoireann ag rá go mbeidh easpa muiníne acu dul os comhair a leithéid de thascfhórsa le ceisteanna chomh tromchúiseacha leis na ceisteanna seo a phlé, mar gheall ar an taithí atá acu go dtí seo. Cé go bhfuil sé ráite nach bhfuil an ceistneoir le n-úsáid arís, tuigtear dom go gcuirtear cuid de na ceisteanna fós sna hagallaimh a chuirtear ar dhaoine.

Tá daoine ag ardú ceisteanna chomh maith maidir leis na costais dlí atá ar Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh ó thaobh na comhairle a fhaigheann an ollscoil faoi dhaoine a bhíonn le ceapadh agus faoi cheisteanna a bhaineann le cothromaíocht, srl. Tuigtear dom freisin go bhfuil comhlacht caidreamh poiblí an-mhór le rá fostaithe ag an ollscoil anois le scéal níos fearr a chur amach maidir le obair na hollscoile sna réimsí seo. Cé mhéad a chosnaíonn sé sin chomh maith céanna? Ní dóigh liom go mbaineann an cheist seo le Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh amháin. Is dóigh liom go mbaineann sé leis an earnáil tríú leibhéal trí chéile. Nuair a bhí mé ag an gComhchoiste um Oideachas agus Coimirce Shóisialach le déanaí, dúirt ionadaithe ón Údarás um Ard-Oideachas liom go bhfuil imní orthu faoi cheist na cothromaíochta - go háirithe ó thaobh cearta na mban, cearta na ndaoine faoi mhíchumas agus fostaíocht de - trasna na hearnála. Tuigtear dom freisin go bhful stailc ar bun inniu ag léachtóirí i gColáiste San Aingeal, Sligeach mar go bhfuil deacrachtaí acu siúd maidir leis an gcaoi ina bhfuil an coláiste sin le cónascadh le Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh. An dtabharfaidh an tAire soiléiriú dom? An gceapann sí go bhfuil fiosrúchán neamhspleách ag teastáil sa chás seo? An aontaíonn sí nach bhfuil an tascfhórsa atá comhdhéanta ag an gcoláiste ionadaíoch ná neamhspleách?

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil imní ar an Seanadóir faoin cheist seo. Níl sé sásta leis an tascfhórsa atá curtha ar bun ag Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh.I am satisfied NUI Galway is being proactive in responding to the recent decision of the Equality Tribunal on gender discrimination, and is at the forefront of the universities sector in this respect. As the Senator stated, NUI Galway has established a task force, chaired by Professor Jane Grimson, former Vice-Provost of Trinity College Dublin. The task force will set out its full and detailed terms of reference after its first meeting in the coming weeks.

The task force consists of a number of highly respected members from inside and external to the university, whom I consider well placed to advise the university on its policies, procedures and a range of initiatives to achieve gender equality in promotion. NUI Galway has committed to the development of a range of gender equality initiatives through the international Athena SWAN programme, which I launched recently at the Department. This has been a real force for change in other countries, and I hope to see it have similar positive effects for women working in higher education in Ireland.

The Higher Education Authority, HEA, is actively considering how best to support the improvement of gender equality throughout the Irish higher education system and is developing a database of staff employed in the sector, so we can ensure gender equality becomes a reality at all levels in the academic profession in Ireland. The data shows that in Ireland women represent 43% of academic staff in the universities and institutes of technology. However, only 21% of professors and associate professors in Irish universities are female, and the national average is approximately 19%. This problem is not unique to Ireland. The European Commission's 2012 report, Gender in Research and Innovation, showed that throughout the EU member states women represented only 20% of professorial staff. This problem is not unique to higher education; more broadly, gender inequality is reflected in purely economic terms in the differences in earnings between men and women throughout the world. In this context, I am pleased to report that in the World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Report 2014, Ireland was ranked 8th, above the US which was ranked 20th, and the UK which was ranked 26th. I am not hugely proud of this but we are in a better place than some other countries.

In terms of higher education specifically, gender equality is well established in Irish legislation. The 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.

Ireland's National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 emphasises the equal importance of the three core roles of higher education institutions, namely, teaching and learning, research, and engagement with wider society. There have been a range of initiatives to address the under-representation of women in science, which has been a matter of growing concern among policy-makers internationally in recent years. These initiatives provide a catalyst for affirmative action in respect of gender equality at institutional level. I hope the Athena SWAN programme in particular will make a real change in higher education in Ireland.

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)
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Tá iontas orm go bhfuil an tAire ag rá go bhfuil sí sásta leis an gcur chuige atá ag NUIG, fiú ar an mbunphointe nach bhfuil ionadaí ó aon cheann de na ceardchumainn a bhaineann leis an gceist seo - SIPTU, IFUT nó Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn - ar an tascfhórsa. Cheapfaí, ar mhaithe leis na n-oibrithe agus na daoine atá san ollscoil, go mbeadh ar a laghad duine amháin acu sin ionadaíoch ann. Luaigh an tAire ina freagra Acht na nOllscoileanna, 1997. Tuigtear dom go bhfuil cumhacht faoi leith aici mar Aire cuairt a shocrú faoin Acht sin. D'fhéadfadh sí daoine neamhspleácha a chur isteach ar chuairt chuig an ollscoil le féachaint an bhfuil gach rud in ord agus in eagar. Iarraim uirthi breathnú ar sin agus bualadh le ionadaithe ó na ceardchumainn, údarás na hollscoile agus na páirtithe leasmhara. Níl mé ag déanamh aon réamhbhreithiúnas, ach sílim go bhfuil an rud seo i bhfad níos measa agus níos tromchúisí ná mar a cheapann daoine. Tá sé tábhachtach go mbeadh an tAire ar an airdeall ar fad faoi seo.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I stated I am satisfied it is being proactive. It is a matter for it specifically, rather than for me, to establish the task force which it has done. It would probably argue this is not specifically an industrial relations matter. The Senator made the point the trade unions are not represented. I want to see proactive engagement on behalf of the higher education sector generally on these matters. A very specific matter has arisen at NUI Galway, as identified by the decision of the Equality Tribunal. We will certainly keep a watching brief on progress.