Women make up a third of company directors in Ireland – report

Adrian Brady, Eulogy

Women make up a third of company directors in Ireland - report
Pictured: Adrian Brady, Eulogy

Women account for a third of all directors in Ireland, according to the Irish Directors Report, which is based on CRO figures.

The research, which was commissioned by Irish-owned, London-based PR agency, Eulogy PR and carried out by Blue Sheep, reveals that a further one in 13 Irish female directors is moving to the UK to develop her career and that 14pc are aged between 18 and 35 years old

According to the report, 41pc of female directors (68,570) are in business services, 6.4pc (10,840) are in social work, 5.5pc (9,232) are involved in construction, 5.1pc (8,391) are in real estate, and 3.9pc (6,646) are in the retail sector.

The report claims that the overall number of directors in Ireland has increased by 20pc since 2010 to 510,000. Of these, 10pc are between the ages of 18 and 35.

Meanwhile, the number of Irish directors in the UK has increased by 14pc since 2011 and now stands at 47,482 – more than twice that of any other non-British nationality.

“The Irish Directors Report highlights the year-on-year increase in Irish directors working in the UK, which is a testimony to the strong trade relationship that exists between the UK and Ireland,” said Adrian Brady, chief executive of Eulogy. “More encouraging still is the surge in young directors under 35 years of age, which illustrates the entrepreneurial and inventive reputation of the Irish.”

“The research offers an unparalleled insight into the vast array of industries in which female directors operate in Ireland,” said Iain Lovatt, CEO of Blue Sheep. “While there is a need for greater parity in certain fields, businesses in Ireland should achieve the recommended EU target long before 2020 and hopefully without the need for gender quotas.”