Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 24: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will report on the percentage of registered companies having a female chief executive; if he will further report on the percentage of registered companies having a female chairperson; if he has plans to introduce proactive measures to increase these proportions; if his attention has been drawn to training programmes in some countries for potential female senior executives that are intended to encourage greater participation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32032/06]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Companies Registration Office is the repository for all companies registered in Ireland. There are currently 168,817 companies on the Register with a total directorship of 434,617. The Register does not indicate the percentage of registered companies having a female chief executive or chairperson.

The 2005 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor indicated that there is a healthy interest among Irish women in developing their own businesses and that many Irish women are actively pursuing this option. However, it is still true that there is a large differential between the numbers of male and female entrepreneurs. As regards my own Department's responsibilities, the report recommended that targeted assistance be provided to female entrepreneurs and this recommendation is being pursued through Enterprise Ireland and the County Enterprise Boards.

Policy in the area of gender equality generally is being developed through the current formulation of the National Women's Strategy to which the Government is committed under social partnership. The draft Strategy is being developed under the direction of an Inter-Departmental Committee by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

The draft Strategy, which is nearing completion, will be a wide ranging document setting out the Government's Strategy under three key themes to foster socio-economic opportunity, enhance well-being and engage women in active citizenship. The Strategy will have a ten year lifespan and will include the promotion of the active participation and advancement of women in the work place and in economic and political decision-making.

The Strategy will build on the key contribution which strong employment equality legislation has made in tackling the difficulties women have experienced in gaining advancement in the work place. In particular, improved provisions in relation to maternity leave, parental leave, adoptive leave, the national minimum wage and part-time employment have made it easier for women to combine employment and family life. The work of the National Framework Committees on Work/Life Balance and on Equal Opportunities at the Level of the Enterprise are also important contributors in this area.

The training programmes to which the Deputy refers may offer some guidance on how to encourage greater participation by potential female senior executives and this will be considered as part of the implementation of the Strategy.

Other programmes to further the participation and advancement of women in the workforce have included:

FÁS has prepared a positive action programme to increase the range of job opportunities open to women, including work to encourage women to enter apprenticeships and the development of new apprenticeships in areas that are more attractive to women.

The FÁS Expanding the Workforce Programme also provides a Gateway for women returnees into the labour market, with a specific focus on lone parents.

County Enterprise Boards provide soft forms of support such as advice, mentoring and management development training.

Enterprise Ireland participates in the EU-sponsored Network to Promote Women's Entrepreneurship and organizes high level conferences on Women and Enterprise.

Science Foundation Ireland has undertaken an initiative aimed at boosting the number of women scientists in Ireland and addressing the gender imbalance in the research community. In this regard there has been significant Science Foundation Ireland investment in three schemes – the Principal Investigator Career Advancement Award, the Institute Development Award and the Junior Scholarship.