Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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20. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in view of the pronounced gender imbalance between senior and junior grades in the public service, the way the restricting of working time patterns and flexible working arrangements under the Haddington Road agreement will not exacerbate this inequality further; the measures he proposes to encourage a greater representation of women at senior grades in view of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49583/13]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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As Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I have overarching responsibility for the public service and I am confident that the public service stands as a leading employer in respect of human resource policies and practices aimed at increasing the participation of women at all levels. While each individual sector has responsibility for the specific arrangements relating to gender equality, my own Department is responsible for gender equality policy in the Civil Service.

In that context, as can be seen from the table below, significant progress has been made in addressing gaps between male and female participation at different grade levels in the civil service workforce. For example, as set out in the table, the proportion of women in middle and senior management grades in the civil service, in which even up to fifteen years ago, a relatively low percentage of posts were filled by women, is a strong demonstration of the impact of a number of initiatives which have been implemented to achieve better gender balance. Indeed the targets included in the National Women’s Strategy 2007-2016 for the percentage of women in the grades of AP and PO in the Civil Service has already been well exceeded for both grades.

The Deputy may also wish to note increases in the representation of women in grades that are feeder groups for middle and senior management grades as an important indicator of further increases over time in the number of women in senior positions in the civil service. Research had previously identified under-representation of women, in particular, in the Assistant Principal grade as a particular obstacle to the advancement of women to more senior levels.

While there are many factors, both societal and organisation specific, which have contributed to the increase in female participation at higher grades in the Civil Service, a number of specific initiatives have been particularly relevant in a civil service context including:

- The introduction of targets in 2000 aiming to fill one-third of Assistant Principal posts by women.

- The Gender Equality Policy in the Civil Service which was launched in 2001 which highlighted the need to introduce a modern approach to equality in human resource areas such as recruitment, promotion and training and suggested a number of practical steps which can be taken by Departments to promote equality of opportunity in these areas.

- The extensive range of flexible working arrangements available to all civil servants which allows them to balance their work and personal commitments.

The recent Haddington Road Agreement included some amendments to flexitime and worksharing arrangements. Work-life balance arrangements in the civil service are among the best available options provided by Irish employers, particularly when considered in tandem with annual leave and other provisions. Civil servants continue to have access to a number of flexible working arrangements, including flexi-time, work-sharing arrangements, the shorter working year scheme and career breaks.

Notwithstanding the significant progress which has been made in increasing the participation of women in the work force, there is clearly a continuing need to promote strategies that continue to increase female participation at senior levels across all sectors of the public service. In this regard, it is expected that the Report of the Sub-Committee on Women in Decision-Making ‘Towards Gender Parity in Decision-Making in Ireland ’ chaired by the Minister for State with responsibility for Equality will be submitted to Government shortly. Officials from my Department will, of course, review the relevant findings of that Report, in order to continue to support increased participation of women at all levels in the civil service.

Female civil servants according to grade 1997-2013