Labour seeks to link State funding of parties with "gender ratios"

[White Horse]

The Labour Party is proposing moves to link the funding of political parties with the number of women they recruit as candidates.

The party is seeking the measure in order to address the shortage of women in Irish politics.

At the moment, only 13% of TDs are female.

Labour says one way to address the gender imbalance is for money allocated under the Electoral Act for the day-to-day running of a party to be linked to the percentage of female candidates they put forward for election.

Labour seeks to link funding with gender ratios | BreakingNews.ie

As Labour ride high in the polls, they have provided a timely reminder to the Irish people that they have high proportion of nutty idealogues.

The idea of token female candidates and "positive" discrimination is a turn-off for most Irish people.

Promotion on merit anyone?

[code twinkle]

The Labour Party is proposing moves to link the funding of political parties with the number of women they recruit as candidates.

The party is seeking the measure in order to address the shortage of women in Irish politics.

At the moment, only 13% of TDs are female.

Labour says one way to address the gender imbalance is for money allocated under the Electoral Act for the day-to-day running of a party to be linked to the percentage of female candidates they put forward for election.

Labour seeks to link funding with gender ratios | BreakingNews.ie

As Labour ride high in the polls, they have provided a timely reminder to the Irish people that they have high proportion of nutty idealogues.

The idea of token female candidates and "positive" discrimination is a turn-off for most Irish people.

Promotion on merit anyone?

Crazy! Just like those nutty idealogues in Sweden's ruling political party:

Moderates want more top women - The Local

Obviously Sweden is already doing quite well in political representation of women:

Sweden has world's second-most gender-equal parliament - The Local

but sometimes a situation is so entrenched that radical initiatives must be implemented to overturn an engrained culture. Sorry White Horse.

[White Horse]

a situation is so entrenched that radical initiatives must be implemented to overturn an engrained culture. Sorry White Horse.

There is no ingrained culture in Ireland against female representatives.

The last two presidents were female, the last two Tanaistes were female etc etc.

[atlantic]

Gilmore,now wants to consolidate the female vote,marvellous man at the ould populism.

[COMMIE]

This is only a idea been floated. As it has been in many other countrys in the EU.

[zakalwe1]

QUOTE=White Horse;1467420]There is no ingrained culture in Ireland against female representatives.

The last two presidents were female, the last two Tanaistes were female etc etc.[/QUOTE]

porcine and equine i would have said!

[Munion]

Should the members of the Dáil reflect the makeup of Irish society? Roughly yes but at what point do we stop?

Should quotas be introduced on the following

- Religion
- Gender (Including the various intersex genders)
- Sexual Preference
- Age
- Disabilities

[Duth Ealla]

If Gilmore wants to break the glass ceiling then all the representation in the world wont make a difference without:

(1) affordable childcare;
(2) improved paternity leave
(3) breaking the lazy attitude of us men to helping out.

This is not nutty ideology although if you start linking funds to representation from every segment then you get carried away with PC idiocy.
But fair play to Labour for doing the running on this.

[belvoboy]

When Labour were last in power they brought in gender quotas and targets for State boards.

But there was no minimum set for men (from all I heard) - I never understood how this could be justified. It shows how weak the position is for men in politics in my view: nobody was willing to point out that if you're setting a minimum, why should it only be one way.

This resulted in, for example, the head of the Students Union in UCG not be able to go for a number of months (6? 9?) on the main board of the university as he was male [until there was too much of a fuss and eventually if I recall correctly, he was let on].

This of course can show another problem with this: boards and the like are often made up with maybe one representative from various bodies. The individual bodies might, for example, have lots of women involved including high up e.g. 2nd top position but if its only the top position that goes on, it might be mostly male on the main board.

Maybe other people can think of examples where quotas have caused problems. I've only an amateur interest in the area and my general knowledge on what happens and has happened in Ireland is far from complete (I follow a lot of what happens in the UK for example).

[cyberianpan]

More high powered female politicians ?

Well toss Gilmore & make McManus their leader then

cYp