CSO confirms gross under-representation of women in decision-making

Published: Tuesday, December 12, 2006

The National Womens Council of Ireland has consistently lobbied for increased representation of women in political decision making in Ireland.

Todays report of the Central Statistics Office gives the percentage of women as only 14% of TDs in the Dail and 20% of regional and local authorities. Women and Men in Ireland 2006 confirms the continuing gross under representation of women in Irish political life stated Joanna McMinn Director of the NWCI.

The Report clearly highlights the failure of the government to remedy this democratic deficit and the lack of regard for the interests of half the population in Ireland she continued.

Dr McMinn announced that The National Womens Council of Ireland are urgently calling on the government to introduce legislation to ensure that there is at least 40% of either sex in both houses of the Oireachtas, as candidates of political parties and in social partnership structures.