Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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151. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the degree to which he expects gender balance to be maintained throughout the third-level educational sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49821/18]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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Accelerating gender equality in our higher education institutions is a key element in achieving our vision and ambition to create the best education and training system in Europe by 2026.

The 2016 Higher Education Authority National Review of Gender Equality in Irish Higher Education Institutions was an important first step in highlighting the gender inequality that existed at senior academic levels in our HEIs and suggested radical changes to tackle it. However, since the publication of this report progress remained exceptionally slow. The Gender Equality Taskforce was therefore established in November 2017 to identify significant measures that could accelerate progress in achieving gender equality in Irish HEIs.

Their Action Plan, which was launched on 12^thNovember 2018, outlines a comprehensive strategic approach to bring about sustainable organisational change and to empower a culture of gender equality in the HEIs for all staff. The establishment of a Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality will be a key enabler of this, and will provide centralised support for the institutions, sharing of good practice, and funding for innovative organisational and cultural change initiatives nationally.