Sir, – Orla O'Connor of the National Women's Council of Ireland lists the attributes of a "truly democratic society" ("A woman's place is in the Oireachtas", Online Opinion, March 8th). Building on the acknowledged progress made in women's Dáil representation as a result of recent gender quota legislation, these attributes include affordable childcare and after-school care, and an end to what she describes as the hypocrisy of sending Irish women abroad for an abortion through the repeal of the Eighth Amendment. What political party, one might ask, would put such progressive policies to the people as core pillars of its agenda? The answer is Labour, the only party which championed specific gender quota legislation as far back as 2009, and which ensured that it was enacted in government in 2012.
Politics makes a difference. It is worth acknowledging that some politics makes more of a difference than others. – Yours, etc,
JEAN O’MAHONY,
Dublin 8.