Fianna Fáil Micheál Martin has said "confidence and lifestyle" issues are a central to the party's difficulties in securing more female election candidates, acknowledging the party's standard is "terrible".

In the next general election, each party must put forward a 30 per cent minimum female candidacy. Currently, Fine Gael has 10 women in the Dáil; Labour seven; Sinn Féin two and Fianna Fáil zero.

"It's wrong, it's terrible and I am going to change that," Mr Martin said.

“We will get there in terms of women and I think it’s a good thing. It does force the pace of change.

“There are challenges. I think confidence is one issue, lifestyle is another issue. Some women say to me they just don’t like the way the Dáil operates.”

Mr Martin, in a jovial Late Late Show appearance on Friday night, was asked by Ryan Tubridy to explain his party's "problem with women", a question which prompted an approving response from the audience and a pause in Mr Martin's otherwise nimble exchange.

“I think we need to cop ourselves on in terms of the all night sittings for example,” he said on how to make the prospect of running for election more attractive.

Changes

“It gives an awful image of the party. There was two or three in the last year. You remember one famous one [which ran] up till about four in the morning, there is no need for that.

“Many women have said to me, particularly some who I wanted to become candidates, have said the lifestyle just doesn’t suit me where I am now in my life.”

In a wide ranging interview covering everything from his family background, to Fianna Fáil’s efforts to reinvent itself, and even the untimely deaths of two of his children, Mr Martin said he would put little stock in political polls as guidance, and reiterated his party would never enter coalition with Sinn Féin.

As to whether he might countenance becoming “tánaiste to Mr Kenny’s taoiseach”, he replied: “That’s potentially a nightmare scenario!” before explaining that in his mind “Fine Gael have gone too right wing for us.”