asked the Minister for the Environment the reason he has not appointed (a) a woman member, and (b) an architect to An Bord Pleanála.

The statutory provisions governing membership of An Bord Pleanála do not require the appointment of a woman member or members to represent any group or profession. The terms of office of four members of the board expired on 31 December 1979. Full consideration was given at that time to the type and qualifications of people who should be appointed to the board. Having carefully considered the matter I decided to reappoint two of the existing members and to appoint two new members.

Have the Government and the Taoiseach and the Ministers involved considered that from the vast range of people eligible and indeed interested in this board the Fianna Fáil Party were unable to find a single woman who was qualified in the view of the Minister to sit on the board and, secondly, were unable to find an architect who qualified as suitable?

The terms of reference of the board do not specify that an architect should be on the board or that a woman should be on the board. I am not against a woman on the board and I shall bring the Deputy's remarks to the notice of the Minister.

Will the Minister bring the remarks to the notice of the Commission on the Status of Women and to the notice of the Taoiseach who gave certain assurances to the same commission in relation to full representation of women on State boards?

I shall certainly bring the matter to the attention of the Minister and it is then a matter for him.