asked the Minister for Labour the number of appointments made by him to boards, agencies and so on under the aegis of his Department in the past 12 months, and the number of these who were women.

In the past 12 months I have made 32 appointments to various boards, agencies and so on operating under the aegis of my Department. Of these, seven were women.

Has the Minister any plans for the future to increase the number of women appointed to boards or agencies under his jurisdiction? Will he use his influence in the interests of equality to have such appointments made in other Departments?

In most cases I am appointing nominees of both sides of industry. The greater portion of the 32 are not direct nominees of mine. Although I appoint them, they are nominated to me by both sides of industry. I have no control in that area over the nominations submitted to me. In areas where I have control, since my appointment I have always ensured that there were women representatives if suitable and acceptable candidates were available.

Not in the Labour Court.

Let me dispel a little of the mist that Deputy Mitchell and a few letter writers in certain papers are creating. I made one appointment to the Labour Court recently, the Deputy Chairman. Of the other two, one was nominated by the Congress of Trade Unions and one by the FUE. I think my predecessor in office expressed this view and I repeat it here, that we want a very suitable and acceptable person and I want the most acceptable, the best qualified and most experienced and suitable person for appointment of those available, irrespective of sex.

Would the Minister agree that while, as he correctly says, nominating bodies put forward nominees in many of the cases in which he has power of appointment, it might assist in securing a better balance of male-female representation in such bodies if he were to intimate to nominated bodies that he would look favourably on the nomination of women? That would not interfere with the right to nominate but it might assist in getting more representation for women.

From his own experience the Deputy will realise that both bodies would like to have their independence in regard to nominations. I believe both sides would be anxious, if they had suitable and qualified persons available, to nominate women, as they have done in some cases.