Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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265. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the steps he is taking to identify and address gender pay disparity in his Department and public bodies and agencies that operate under his remit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17353/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department operates in a non-discriminatory environment in accordance with the Equality Acts and aims to ensure that the principles of employment equality are implemented in pay, recruitment, promotion, training and experience of the workplace. Recruitment of civil servants is carried out for the Department by the Public Appointments Service which undertakes recruitment underpinned by its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2021-2023.

Salary scales are determined by the date of appointment to the grade of each individual and are set by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. There is no distinction of gender when applying salary scales.

My Department's policy is that all personnel be accorded equality of opportunity and treatment. Currently, women make up 60% of the membership of the Management Board of the Department. In 2021, 36% of Principals and 51% of Assistant Principal Officer posts were held by women. Overall, 47% of staff at the grades of Assistant Principal and upwards were filled by women.

The only State board currently under the aegis of the Department of Defence is the Army Pensions Board. The Army Pensions Board is an independent statutory body established under the Army Pensions Act 1927. The secretary is provided from the staff of my Department.