Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to put the 40% gender target for State boards outlined in the Programme for Government on a mandatory footing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38841/12]

Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will outline, in tabular form, both the number and the percentage of women and men on State boards under the aegis of his Department in each of the past ten years; if he will provide the most up-to-date figures available regarding the number and percentage of women and men on State boards under the aegis of his Department in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38861/12]

Anne Ferris (Wicklow, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the steps he is taking to ensure that State boards have at least 40% of each gender, as provided for in the Programme for Government; the percentage at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39157/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1270, 1272 and 1283 together.

Since 2003, and in accordance with a Government decision, statistics have been collated on the representation of women on State Boards to monitor progress towards the Government target of at least 40 per cent representation of each gender on State Boards. This target was reiterated by the current Government in the Programme for Government for National Recovery 2011-2016.

The following table shows the percentage of women and men on the State Boards of the Department of Justice and Equality for each year from 2003 to 2011. The figures for 2012 are not yet available from my Department. I hope to bring a Memorandum to Government on women’s representation on State Boards in 2011. This will facilitate a discussion on the commitment in the Programme for Government and of the requirement to enhance the position of women on State Boards.

Department of Justice and Equality State Board Figures

*Total number serving on State Boards at year end. This figure does not include any Board vacancies.