Alex Attwood made the comments at the Local Government Association Conference at Templepatrick.
The environment minister is taking legal advice on whether he has the power to insist on quotas of female candidates in future council elections.
Alex Attwood also confirmed his plan to ban councillors double-jobbing as MLAs from May 2014.
He was addressing the Local Government Association conference at Templepatrick on Thursday.
Mr Attwood said he would be cutting the allowance paid to double-jobbing councillors this year.
It will be cut by two thirds from April.
