It is unacceptable that women make up 20 per cent or less of many public bodies in modern Ireland, the Dáil was told.
Calling for a "critical mass" of women to be represented on a new social partnership public body, Labour's finance spokeswoman Joan Burton said the structure the Taoiseach was establishing "is meant to be representative of the whole population".
She said: "There is no reason at least 50 per cent of the body's members should not be women. It would be a cause of considerable surprise if only four or five of its members, who will number about 100, were men.
"People would sit up and ask what was going on, while Kevin Myers would have a rush of blood to the head and worry that men were losing out in society."
Ms Burton was speaking during the final stages of the National Economic and Social Development Office Bill, which amalgamates three public bodies involved in social partnership: National, Economic and Social Council (NESC), National Economic and Social Forum (NESF) and National Centre for Partnership and Performance. Her amendment, calling for at least 40 per cent each of men and women on the new structure was rejected. The Bill was passed.
Government chief whip Tom Kitt said he agreed with the sentiment but it was not practical. "Appointments to a body may not always be at the discretion of the Government because they may be nominated by representative bodies," he said. But he was confident they could work to achieve "excellent balance". Mr Kitt added that the Taoiseach had written to nominating bodies about gender balance.
Ms Burton said that the Dáil itself "ranks close to the bottom of the international league in terms of the proportion of women in parliament".
Backing the amendment Fine Gael deputy leader Richard Bruton said: "Although the Government should accept these kinds of provisions, it has consistently failed to do so."
Green Party finance spokesman Dan Boyle said: "The Government must provide evidence to show it is prepared to meet gender balance targets such as that set out in the amendment."
Sinn Féin's finance spokesman CaoimhghíÓ Caoláin said the Government had continuously kicked to touch on the issue.
