Gender equality in the Defence Forces
Higgins asked for a review of women’s broader access to Defence Forces roles, including cadet recruitment and overseas postings. Daly agreed to raise the matter, while noting that equality legislation does not apply to Defence Forces employment and that women’s access is limited by resources and available roles.
In view of the representations made by the Chief Executive of the Employment Equality Agency, will the Minister call on the Minister for Defence to look at the whole equality provisions in the Defence Forces in so far as no female cadets have been recruited and females who went through the identical training course as officers are not being considered for posting in Lebanon, for example? Now the apprentice school is, so to speak, another breach of equality in the Defence Forces. Will the Minister undertake to ask his colleague to look at the general question of equality in the Defence Forces?
Comment on this
I will, but the question refers to apprentices in the Army Apprentice School. As the Deputy is aware, the Employment Equality Act does not apply to employment in the Defence Forces. Nevertheless, the policy of successive Governments has been to provide access by women to membership of the Permanent Defence Force to the maximum extent possible, having regard to the financial constraints and to the roles in which women can be employed in the Defence Forces. In this regard, since 1980 24 female cadets, 40 females, other rank, seven female medical officers and one female dentist have joined the Permanent Defence Force. The Minister has already got the communication from the Employment Equality Agency, and I will draw the attention of the Deputies interested in this to the Minister's attention and he will deal with the matter.
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