Too twee for Mammy

Published: Saturday, November 13, 2010

Our female TDs and Senators held a meeting this week to discuss the fraught issue of women in politics and how their numbers in parliament can be increased. The event was organised by Minister of State for Equality Mary White and Labour Senator Ivana Bacik, who produced a report last year on women's participation in politics. The meeting was addressed by Susan McKay of the National Women's Council.

However, the introduction of gender quotas to the candidate selection process continues to divide the Leinster House women. It was argued by those in favour of them that the word "quota" is not helpful.

Four of the politicians present formed a cross-party alliance opposing any move to introduce quotas - Fianna Fáil's Mary O'Rourke, Independent Maureen O'Sullivan and Labour's Joanna Tuffy and Róisín Shortall.

"It's all too twee," said O'Rourke. She's a busy woman, is the deputy for Longford/Westmeath. She will be speaking on Monday night at the launch of Dr Patrick Geoghegan's latest book about Daniel O'Connell. It takes place in the shadow of the O'Connell monument at the Glasnevin Museum in Glasnevin Cemetery.

Mary isn't performing the actual launch, that duty falls to the ubiquitous Michael McDowell.

She will be doing the "introduction". One presumes she is introducing Liberator: The life and death of Daniel O'Connell 1830-1847 and not the former tánaiste and PD leader. Although it would be interesting to hear what she might have to say on that score.

Click here to read the entire article.

This article was found in the Irish Times on the 13th November, 2010

P.S - You will be redirected to an external site. NWCI accepts no liability for advertising or links to external, or third party websites. Links do not imply any endorsement, and we do not give any representation regarding the quality, safety, suitability, or reliability of any advertising links or images. We are not responsible for content on external sites, embedded content, or frames