Madam, - Cllr Niamh Bhreathnach's spirited defence of women's participation in politics and her support for quotas to achieve fairer representation (August 31st) deserve wider debate.
As co-author of Women in Parliament (Wolfhound), which traced the development of women's participation in Irish politics since the foundation of the State, I feel the rationale for positive action to address the depressingly low percentage of elected women representatives is overwhelming.
Current selection procedures in all parties militate against change and it has been proven that where women politicians achieve "critical mass", usually 30 per cent of the legislature, they do have significant influence on deciding the political agenda.
Many women already in the political system oppose the idea of quotas because they interpret such action as a reflection on their own ability to progress. However, in the course of research for a report on women's participation in politics for the Council of Europe's Equal Opportunities Committee, which I will be presenting to the parliamentary assembly in October, I concluded that where positive action measures have been introduced in member-states, women's representation in parliament increases dramatically.
The best examples are our neighbours in the Welsh Assembly, where women MPs constitute 50 per cent of both the assembly and the cabinet, and in the Scottish Parliament, where there is 47 per cent female representation.
These dramatic results were the result of initiatives taken by the British Labour Party involving a concept called "twinning", where a woman candidate had to be selected in one of any two designated constituencies.
Under the personal direction of the Taoiseach, who is a strong supporter of increased women's representation in politics, Fianna Fáil has formed a working group to examine this important area and to bring forward recommendations for future elections.
Ronnie O'Toole is incorrect to state that the high level of male representation in the Dáil and Seanad is not a gender issue. Sadly, cultural and historical reasons allied to an inherent bias in selection procedures are the real reasons. The high proportion of women involved in voluntary organisations in this country gives the lie to the myth that they are not interested in representative politics.
Gender quotas are not the long-term solution but they are necessary in the short term if we are serious about increasing women's participation at the highest level in this country. - Yours, etc.,
Senator PASCHAL MOONEY, Carrick Road, Drumshanbo, Co Leitrim.