Written answers

Wednesday, 16 January 2013

Department of Justice and Equality

Gender Balance Issues

Photo of Regina DohertyRegina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if following the recent EU legislation aimed at improving gender balance on company boards in Europe, the Government has any proposals to encourage this initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57888/12]

Photo of Marcella Corcoran KennedyMarcella Corcoran Kennedy (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if his attention has been drawn to the fact that no Irish companies have committed to the draft EU Directive to raise the quota of women on company boards to 30% by 2015 and 40% by 2020; if he intends to take action to encourage same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57835/12]

Photo of Alan ShatterAlan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 727 and 735 together.

Following a number of largely unsuccessful non-statutory initiatives and a public consultation, the European Commission submitted its formal proposal for a Directive on improving the gender balance on company boards to the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers on 14 November 2012. The content of the proposed Directive will be debated, and possibly amended, in those fora before it is adopted into European Law and then transposed into the law of member states.

The draft Directive proposes agreement on a 40% target for the under represented sex (usually women) on non-executive boards of listed companies by 2020 and listed companies which are public undertakings by 2018, based on pre-established, neutrally formulated and unambiguous criteria in selection procedures.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are excluded from the scope of the proposal while the sanctions to be imposed for non-compliance are left to Member States to decide but must be dissuasive, effective and proportionate.

The Irish Presidency will steer the opening stages of these negotiations through the Social Questions Working Group and then to the EPSCO Council as appropriate while at the same time working with the European Parliament on the proposal.

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