asked the Minister for the Public Service if he is satisfied that women are adequately represented at higher levels within the Civil Service and in semi-State bodies; and the evidence on which this is based.

18.

asked the Minister for the Public Service the number and percentage of senior and higher executive officers in the public service who are female; the action, if any, he considers necessary to redress the imbalance; if he believes that affirmative action would be appropriate; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to reply to Questions Nos. 12 and 18 together.

The Civil Service is the only area of the public service where I currently have statutory responsibility for control of numbers and grades employed. The information sought about the representation of women at higher levels and the number and percentage of women in the higher grades of the civil service is in the form of tabular statements which I propose to circulate in the Official Report.

While the tables show that women are under-represented in the higher levels of the civil service, the proportion of women serving in the higher grades has increased significantly in the past decade. The figures show that, today, over 23 per cent of assistant principals, the main middle management grade in the Civil Service, are women. This compares with 4 per cent in 1972. In the grade of higher executive officer, the comparable figures are 33 per cent and 12 per cent respectively. As stated in the White Paper on the Public Service, paragraph 4.20, the Government as employer are committed to equality of opportunity and to fuller participation by women throughout the Civil Service.

A number of major initiatives have been taken by my Department in the area of equal opportunity. Since January 1984 a section in the Department have been designated with specific responsibility for women's affairs. The section serves as a focal point for the co-ordination, development and implementation of policy in this area. They are involved in negotiations on a wide range of claims on equality and family issues with staff side interests under the scheme of conciliation and arbitration for the Civil Service. Another significant development has been the introduction of more flexible working arrangements which are of particular importance to staff wishing to combine a career and family responsibility. These include the schemes of career breaks, job-sharing and flexible working hours. For women in management grades, the Civil Service Training Centre has designed and launched a new course "The Woman Manager" which is specifically designed to encourage women employees to develop and enhance their management potential.

Guidelines for implementing the policy of equal opportunity in the Civil Service will be issued by my Department in the near future. These guidelines will deal with equality in relation to recruitment, placement, training and promotion and will ensure that advances made by women in the Civil Service to date will continue.

Following are the tables referred to:

Table 1.

Numbers and Proportion of Women in General Service Grades from Higher Executive officer upwards — April 1986.

Table 2.

Number and Proportion of women in Departmental grades from Higher Executive officer equivalent level and upwards — April 1986.

Note: Departmental grades are grouped on the basis of salary maximum. Each group includes those grades with a salary maximum greater than or equal to the maximum for the general service equivalent grade.

Table 3

Percentage of men and women in the main professional groupings in the Civil Service — April 1986.

Note — Only those serving in grades where the salary maximum is equal to or greater than the Higher Executive Officer maximum are included here.

That is the same reply as was called out four or five months ago when I asked the same question. May I ask the Minister—

If you asked the same question four or five months ago you should not ask it now.

That is the question I asked in December. How many women have been appointed to the position of secretary or assistant secretary, since the top levels appointments commission came into operation two years ago?

In relation to secretaries, deputy secretaries and assistant secretaries there is one woman.

What grade?

Assistant secretary.

Will the Minister agree, looking at the percentage of females employed in the Civil Service, that something is drastically wrong with the Appointments Commission when, although the positions were competed for by women, only one woman could come through in that two year period? Does the Minister accept that there seems to be an anomaly in relation to the figures given for higher executive officer and executive officer positions? Does the Minister also accept that, compared with men, a very low percentage of women have been appointed? I do not want to hear a long speech, like that of the Minister's predecessor, about pious aspirations in regard to the employment of women in the Civil Service.

It is not correct to say that nothing has been done about this. In regard to higher executive officers, there are 827 men and 414 women in this grade. I mentioned the progress which has been made since 1972 and the comparable figures — 33 per cent at present as against 12 per cent then. It is easy to pinpoint the situation at the top level but we must be realistic in regard to other grades. The under representation of women in the higher levels of the Civil Service is related to the general restriction on the employment of married women which existed until the Civil Service (Employment of Married Women) Act, 1973, ended the restriction. The effects will work their way through the grading structure in time but progress has been made and the Government are committed to making further progress. I have already outlined the initiatives which my Department are taking although we are still some way from total equality.

Could the Minister say how may women serve on the top level appointments commission?

I do not have that information.

The answer is none.

I though that was the case.

Could the Minister state how many women have put their names forward, since the introduction of the top level appointment commision, for the posts of secretary, deputy secretary and assistant secretary and how many have been successful?

That is probably a separate question.

It is not specifically related to the original question and my brief does not indicate the position in regard to the top level appointments commission. It is necessary to reiterate that, because of the restrictions up to 1973, there was been very little progress at the top level but the commitment of the Government is clearly indicated by the very substantial progress made at middle management level.

I am asking for the figures represented at higher levels within the Civil Service. The question referred to the group which appoint people at higher level but, unfortunately, the Minister is not briefed on that matter. I hope to put down this question again in six months because there is a huge imbalance and bias against women in the Department of the Public Service——

That is not a question.

I hope the balance will be redressed in the next six months.

I totally reject Deputy Ahern's remark about imbalance and bias so far as women are concerned.

The statistics prove it.

A Member of Deputy Ahern's experience should not make ill-founded comments of that nature.