Coalition breaks promise made to women

The Coalition has broken a key promise to appoint more women to state boards.

All but three out of 14 government departments failed to reach a 40% gender representation target.

Women have the lowest representation in important, economic, decision-making bodies, and make up just 25% of members of boards under the Department of Finance and 22% under the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

In contrast, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs has the highest representation of women (63%) on boards under its control.

The Programme for Government contains a commitment to ensure 40% of all state board positions are held by women.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said that around 34% of positions on state boards in recent years have been held by women.

In response to Dáil questions, he admitted that “progress towards achieving that gender target has been slow, and significant deviations persist between departments”.

He added: “A pattern has emerged over the years whereby significant numbers of women are on boards with a caring focus but fewer are on boards with an economic or business focus.”

Mr Kenny said there were some examples of “exceptional and competent people including women in particular” being appointed to economic bodies following public advertisements.

“I would like to see that continue,” he said.

Broken down by department, the female representation on state boards is:

* Department of the Taoiseach: 28%;

* Finance: 25%;

* Public Expenditure: 22%;

* Jobs and Enterprise: 33%;

* Social Protection: 39%;

* Justice and Equality: 36%;

* Defence: 35%;

* Health: 44%;

* Transport, Sport, and Tourism: 25%;

* Environment: 33%;

* Arts: 38%;

* Children and Youth Affairs: 63%;

* Education: 47%;

*Agriculture: 11%;

* Communications: 30%.

The Department of Foreign Affairs does not have any state boards.

The figures were supplied in response to questions from Independent TD Catherine Murphy, who said the low rates of representation cannot be allowed to continue.

“Equality in gender representation, as in all other things, is necessary if we are to have functioning systems that are truly representative,” she said, adding that the average rate of representation across all departments was lower than 30%.

In response, Brendan Howlin, the public expenditure and reform minister, said that it was his intention “to increase the number of women appointees over the lifetime of the Government”.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan said he was “mindful” of the 40% target but candidates applying for positions “are assessed primarily on their knowledge and expertise, and options are presented to me for appointment on that basis”.

Of the five members of the Fiscal Advisory Council — the independent board which advises the Government — just one is a woman.

Female representation on boards under the Department of the Environment has fallen from 37% in 2008 to 33% at present.

At the Department of Justice, the figure has risen from 29% in 2008 to 36%. Minister Alan Shatter said while this is “still below the 40% target”, it is “a noticeable and welcome improvement on previous years”.

In the Department of Sport and Tourism, the level of women on boards has risen from 21% in 2011 to 25%.

“My intention is to achieve the commitment in the Programme for Government in the context of future appointments to state boards for which I have responsibility,” said Mr Varadkar.