Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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38. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the specific measures being taken to address the underrepresentation of women in certain STEM fields, particularly engineering, computer science and physics at third level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54976/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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Inclusion is a core goal of my Department, ensuring equal access to learning and research opportunities. The Government’s STEM Education Policy Statement (2017) aims for a 40% increase in female participation in STEM subjects at Leaving Certificate level to strengthen representation at third level.

Research Ireland promotes equality through its External Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy 2023–2028 and a public Gender Dashboard that tracks gender-disaggregated data across funding programmes since 2011. The analysis shows comparable success rates for male and female applicants, no funding disparities, and positive effects from initiatives like the Starting Investigator Research Grant (SIRG), Frontiers for the Future (FFP), and Pathway programmes. However, women remain underrepresented at advanced career stages such as Research Professorships and Research Centres, prompting targeted actions to close these gaps.

Research Ireland also collaborates with the Department of Education and Youth to promote STEM engagement and gender balance from primary to tertiary education. Key performance indicators for 2025 include the percentage of women award holders, gender balance in research teams, and gender representation in review panels.

The Senior Academic Leadership Initiative (SALI), launched in 2019, addresses gender inequality in senior academic posts. Of 30 awarded posts, 24 were in STEM and are filled by senior female academics.

The Athena SWAN Charter, established in Ireland in 2015, provides a framework for advancing equality in higher education and research. Supported by the HEA and Advance HE, it recognises institutional progress through Bronze, Silver, and Gold awards. Updated in 2021 and 2024, the Charter aligns with Irish legislation and EU Gender Equality Plan requirements, ensuring that diversity and academic freedom remain central to higher education policy.