THE achievements of Irish women in sport contrasts sharply with their support from the Government, according to the PD spokeswoman on equality and law reform.
In a statement, Ms Helen Keogh TD said there were still no women on a number of State boards, including Aer Rianta, the General Medical Services Payment Board, the Local Government Staff Negotiations Board, the National Milk Agency and Dun Laoghaire Harbour Board.
She said Ministers were ignoring their own targets, as set out in the Report on the Status of Women, which was accepted by the Government, and which recommended a minimum target of 40 per cent female representation on the boards of state and semi state companies.
She said Fine Gael Ministers in particular had failed to improve the position of women on State boards. Mr Lowry, for example, had appointed more men than women to 11 of the 12 boards to which he made appointments in the past year.
Despite the preponderance of women in the health service, no health board even approached the 40 per cent target, and Mr Noonan's only appointment to a health board was a man.
Ministers such as Mrs Owen and Ms Breathnach also failed to increase the number of women on boards, she said.