A PROPOSAL backed by Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny to impose quotas of women candidates was rejected by his parliamentary party this week after one of its most prominent female TDs strongly opposed it.
The party leadership wanted to set targets to ensure that 20 per cent of its candidates in the next local election would be female, rising to 25 per cent for European elections.
However, in what was seen as a setback for Mr Kenny and the leadership, Dublin South East TD Lucinda Creighton strenuously objected to the proposal when it was disclosed to the weekly meeting of TDs and Senators on Wednesday night.
Ms Creighton demanded that the proposal be put to a vote. On a show of hands, the proposal was rejected by 18 votes to 14, according to those who were present. Mr Kenny voted in favour of the proposal.
The proposal formed part of a radical electoral reform document being finalised by Mr Kenny, environment spokesman Phil Hogan and senior officials. Mr Hogan presented the key elements at the meeting.
Ms Creighton won support from several other women members including Catherine Byrne, TD for Dublin South Central, and Senators Nicky McFadden and Fidelma Healy Eames. Senator Ciarán Cannon and Waterford TD John Deasy also opposed it. The party’s Seanad leader, Frances Fitzgerald, strongly supported the leadership proposal.
Ms Creighton said she believed that introducing quotas to increase female representation was a trite measure. “It’s a very easy solution to a very complex problem. It’s not a fix for solving the factors that prevent women from getting into politics and the issues that prevent them from staying in politics.
“You really have to look at other things like the long hours, childcare and how [women] are treated in the political environment,” she said.
“There are no anti-bullying, or anti-discrimination, measures, nor any human resources systems in place in any of the political parties. Unless you deal with those, the rest is window dressing to make us sound progressive,” she argued.
A spokesman for Mr Kenny said the proposal reflected the desire of the leadership to get more women involved in politics.
“That was one way of doing it and Mr Kenny will continue to try to find more ways of doing it,” he said.
It is highly unusual for proposals to be put to a vote at party meetings but one deputy, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Wednesday’s “mini-rebellion” reflected wider disquiet about reforms being pushed by the leadership.
They include plans to scrap Seanad Éireann; reduce the number of TDs by at least 20, and to explore a list system. The document will be unveiled by the party about the time of its national conference in Killarney later this month.