I wish to be associated with the condolences extended to our colleague, Senator Currie, her mother, Annita, and the extended Currie family on the passing of Austin. I had the pleasure of working with him when he ran in the presidential campaign back in the 1980s. I knew him to be a thorough gentleman. He brought so much to the office of the Minister of State but also in terms of his work as a Deputy, and his work on the North in the past. I am thinking of all of his family at this sad time.

I welcome the motion that was passed recently in the Dáil. The motion was proposed by Deputy Carroll MacNeill and concerned the establishment of a committee on gender equality. The figures are stark and are as follows: women only accounted for 22.5% of Deputies - there is a better percentage in the Seanad; women in Ireland effectively work for free for the last 14.4% of the year; women accounted for 22.4% of board members; and 19% of Irish companies have no female directors. Those statistics are frightening. A committee would be a step in the right direction and I would like it established as soon as possible. I seek the support of this House on the establishment of a committee in terms of securing gender equality and equality for all.

That issue will be on the agenda of the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight today and if it is agreed there then it will be on the agenda tomorrow in the House.