Seanad debates

Wednesday, 15 April 2015

2:30 pm

Photo of Lorraine HigginsLorraine Higgins (Labour)
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I am raising the approach of the National University of Ireland Galway, NUIG, to gender among its academic ranks. The Minister of State may be aware that in December 2014, an NUIG academic, Dr. Micheline Sheehy Skeffington, won an Equality Tribunal case against the university for discrimination on the basis of gender in the 2009 round of promotions to senior lecturer. Dr. Sheehy Skeffington is the first female academic to have achieved this outcome in Ireland.

One of the consequences of the case was the establishment of a task force to deal with gender equality in the university. Since then, the university's hiring policies and general staff promotion systems have come under scrutiny, which has been warranted, and many staff and students as well as the trade union are deeply dissatisfied and concerned about how the newly-convened task force will function. SIPTU, for example, has advised its members on the NUI Galway campus not to co-operate with the task force as it has not engaged in consultations about its establishment. The trade union went as far as describing the task force as "an effort to waste time in the hope that the issue will blow over, and with the expectation that the results from their handpicked panel will, in all essentials, be a whitewash".

Among SIPTU's concerns, which are echoed by Dr. Sheehy Skeffington and her many supporters among the staff and students of NUI Galway, are that the task force lacks transparency and was not independently constituted and that no assurances have been given with regard to confidentiality. This lack of buy-in by those who are close to the issue raises serious questions about the suitability of the task force as it stands. While I have no doubt that all parties to the problem wish to see it resolved, the issue has been greatly exacerbated by the decision, as reported in a local Galway newspaper, by the chair of the governing body of NUI Galway to decline to meet elected representatives and Oireachtas Members to discuss their concerns about gender equality issues at the university.

Despite everything that has gone before, I welcome the recent remarks made by the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, in which she asserted that proper consultation between concerned parties is required if the task force is to be effective. I hope that in the event that NUI Galway fails to address the concerns of many people regarding the effectiveness of the task force, the Minister will continue to exert her influence in the matter.

On the issue of gender discrimination, it is clear that a cultural change is needed in NUI Galway and perhaps across the third level sector. To change this culture, we must face up to it, however awkward it may be to do so. An ineffectual and unrepresentative task force at this juncture will simply kick the can further down the road. All of the women at NUI Galway, both former and current and including academics, students and support staff, as well as women across the third level sector deserve equality of opportunity, no more and certainly no less. They have waited for long enough and deserve positive and determined action on this issue.

The Minister must give a commitment that she will continue to exert her influence on this critical matter in NUI Galway in respect of procedures. If we do not have faith in promotional opportunities and procedures at a third level institution, it will be a sad reflection on the students who come forward in years to come.

Photo of Damien EnglishDamien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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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.

Photo of Lorraine HigginsLorraine Higgins (Labour)
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I thank the Minister for his answer. It is important that we acknowledge the shortcomings of this task force, in particular issues regarding transparency, as I outlined earlier, the independence of the body and assurances to the academics regarding their confidentiality. It is imperative that the students and also members of academia have confidence in this task force. To move this matter forward I ask the Minister of State to ask his senior Minister, Deputy O'Sullivan, to try to facilitate a meeting between the public representatives and the members of the governing authority of the university. That is imperative if we are to iron out issues and move the matter forward.

Photo of Damien EnglishDamien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I will raise the issue with the Minister, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, because it is important that we have everyone's confidence in this task force. Everyone wants to see this task force working and as the Senator said, confidentiality is an important part of that. Full implementation is important also. I will talk to the Minister and revert back to the Senator directly.

Photo of Lorraine HigginsLorraine Higgins (Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State.