Séamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding the plan by the EU to introduce a quota system for women on corporate boards; if he agrees with its introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13657/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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In March 2011, the EU Commission Vice-President with responsibility for Justice and Fundamental Rights called on all publicly listed companies in the EU to take voluntary steps to increase women's participation on corporate boards to 30 per cent by 2015 and to 40 per cent by 2020. The European average was then 12 per cent. All publicly listed companies in Europe were also invited to sign up to the "Women on the Board Pledge for Europe" to commit to reaching these voluntary targets. Progress in both regards was to be monitored after a year with a view to the introduction of legislation if necessary.

A report published by the European Commission last week has shown that the call for voluntary targets has produced only a slight improvement on last year's figures at 13.7 per cent, which equates with women now accounting for one in seven board members across Europe's top firms. The figures for Ireland are lower with women accounting for just nine per cent of board members of the largest publicly listed companies (an increase of just 1 percentage point in the year).

In response to the publication of the report, the European Commission has announced a public consultation process to inform the Commission's decision on future actions to take. The target group of this consultation are Member States, business or industry organisations, individual companies, civil society organisations with an interest in gender and/or social issues, trade unions, equality bodies, and other organisations or individuals. The closing date for the consultation is 28 May 2012.

There is considerable evidence to suggest that more gender balanced decision-making is better decision-making. A Working Group under the aegis of my Department is finalising a study on the role of women in all levels of decision-making. I look forward to considering both its findings and those of the European Commission before determining the best way forward in an Irish context.