Ireland is one of the lowest-ranked countries in the EU in terms of female political representation, a situation Fine Gael described today as a “disgrace”.
Out of 166 seats in the Dáil, 22 – or 13.3 per cent – are held by women. This figure has risen by just one per cent in the past decade.
Of the 60 senators in the Seanad, 13 are women (21.7 per cent).
Ireland is currently rated 23rd out of the 27 European Union countries in terms of female political representation.
It ranks in joint 87th position with Barbados and Jamaica out of 188 countries on the Inter-Parliamentary Union database. Even Afghanistan has a higher proportion of women in parliament at 27.7 per cent.
Fine Gael Senate leader, Senator Frances Fitzgerald said the situation was a "national disgrace". It must be "carefully examined if the reasons preventing Irish women from gaining access to the political world are to be determined and appropriately dealt with."
She noted that of the 470 candidates who stood in the last general election, 82 were women. This was the lowest number of female candidates since 1989.
"Internal party selection processes are often sited as the greatest obstacle to women's entry into the political arena, as well as outdated attitudes," she said. "The absence of family friendly policies and childcare provisions can also stifle women's ambitions."
The Senator was speaking ahead of a press conference in Leinster House to highlight women's position in politics. It comes in advance of the 90th anniversary of women's right to vote later this month.