FF spurned women in 'jobs for boys' shame
BIAS: Fewer that 33pc had key posts
Colin O'Riordan
UNFAIR: Only 24pc of women made up top posts in Brian Lenihan's Finance Department
IT definitely was a case of "jobs for the boys" when Fianna Fail overlooked women for State board appointments for 14 years -- and that's official.
Women accounted for fewer than one third of the estimated 4,500 plum positions handed out under Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen.
New figures show that the two Taoisigh repeatedly favoured men when handing out jobs -- many of which included healthy remuneration packages.
Since Fianna Fail rode to power in 1997 more than 4,400 appointments were made by ministers in 13 different departments.
But while the appointments were generally at the discretion of the relevant minister, it seems they did little to ensure equality in the board room. Just 31pc -- fewer than one in three -- of the top posts were given to women. Similarly, just one in four of the 158 special advisors hired by the previous Fianna Fail governments were female.
The National Women's Council has called for the Government to cut funding to State boards that do not reach a 40pc target for women.
Staggered
And Fine Gael TD Jerry Buttimer has said that he was "staggered" at the volume of appointments and "concerned" at the lack of gender balance.
The Department of Agriculture had the worst record where just 20pc of appointments were women.
In the Department of Finance the figure was 24pc, while board rooms linked to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation comprised only 23pc women. Fine Gael has promised to reform the process of appointing members to State boards
The revelation comes as Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin pledged to get women involved in the party's regeneration.
They have no female TDs left in the Dail and will struggle to get a significant number of senators elected.
Speaking at the annual Fianna Fail 1916 commemoration in Arbour Hill, Mr Martin said: "One of the tasks Mary Hanafin as vice-president of the party will be able to establish a new national women's forum to advance the cause of women within the party's structures and to ensure significant representation, first of all on candidate lists in the local elections and then ultimately for the next general election."
kdoyle@herald.ie
- Kevin Doyle, POLITICAL REPORTER
