The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin TD has said that since the establishment of this Government, 16 members have been nominated to State boards, 25 percent of which were female.
When questioned on the number of women in principal and assistant principal officer positions within the civil service, the Minister stated that as per the end of April 2013, 34 percent of principal officers and 41 percent of assistant principal officers employed on a whole-time equivalent basis are women.
The Minister for Local Government, Phil Hogan TD also disclosed gender figures within local authorities. He confirmed that of the 33 City and County Managers in situ, 4 or 12 percent of them are women.
In March 2011, the Government in its ‘Programme for Government’ announced that it will take steps to ensure that all State boards have at least 40 percent of each gender. Minster Howlin stated that it is his attention in the limited number of appointments I have to make to increase the number of women appointees over the lifetime of the Government.