FF ‘disappointed’ with number of women it is running in local elections

Fianna Fáil

has said it is “very disappointed” with the proportion of female candidates it is running in the local and European elections in May.

The party's enterprise spokesman Dara Calleary said yesterday that less than 20 per cent of its candidates nationally for the May 23rd elections would be women, significantly less than the 30 per cent quota that will be legally required from 2016.

Like other parties, Fianna Fáil had aspired to get its proportion of women candidates close to the 30 per cent target.

“We are disappointed. We are accepting that. We would have preferred if we had more,” said Mr Calleary. He said the ratio in Dublin was better and was close to 30 per cent.

He was speaking as the party announced details of its 75th Ardfheis, which will be held in Killarney this weekend.

Support
Party general secretary Seán Dorgan disclosed the party would field 420 candidates in the local elections, and would put particular emphasis on recovering its support in Dublin through its European Parliament candidate Mary Fitzpatrick and its local election team.

About half of the party’s candidates for county council and city council seats have not previously contested an election.

Mr Dorgan and Mr Calleary said the party had 20,000 registered members (those who have paid an annual fee of €20) and a further 20,000 associate members.

Membership
It is the first time the party has been in a position to give reliable membership figures because it previously relied on its network of cumainn to supply membership details, and many of the records were out of date.

Mr Dorgan said there would be an "almighty party effort" to win a European Parliament seat in the three-seater Dublin constituency. It also wants to increase its representation on Dublin City Council to more than the six members it has on the 52-member council. The new council will have an additional 10 seats after local government reforms.

It was also disclosed yesterday that the party has debts of €860,000 but Mr Dorgan said it hoped it would have them cleared within a year.