Women in political leadership
Senator Healy Eames calls for a future debate on women’s representation and influence in politics, questioning whether women’s appointments to senior positions produce meaningful organisational change.
I would also like to wish everybody on all sides of the House a happy summer and a well-deserved break. I look forward to coming back here in the autumn. I really believe that this House, which is a House of Parliament, should be shaping the Ireland we want. We are the voices that have been elected to give guidance to Government and to inform Government choices. Government actions speak far louder than words. Of course, I want to see an advocacy service for the deaf and I think it is only right and proper that we would have a debate on what is happening between Israel and Palestine because lives are being needlessly lost. If the Leader could address that tomorrow - I understand that it might be very short notice today - it would be worthwhile.
My reason for standing today is because we see actions speaking louder than words in the Government reshuffle. Three "G's" have lost out. One of them is geography. I mentioned Galway and the entire western region yesterday. Gaeilge and the Gaeltacht lost out because we must lead by example. Above all, gender has lost out. If we want change in this country in the area of gender, we must lead by example. Of 15 junior Minister promotions, we have one female. Is that leading by example? Is that saying women are important in politics? I do not think so. In the case of Fine Gael, of nine women, zero were promoted to the junior ministerial ranks. It makes that very worthwhile promotion-----
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I am coming to a question. It makes that very worthwhile promotion in the senior ranks by Fine Gael look like mere tokenism for women. If we are serious about organisational change, our leaders must lead by example. When we come back in the autumn, I am looking for a debate about gender in politics and whether having women leading in politics means anything at all.
Does it mean anything to have women in senior and junior Cabinet positions in order that they can be at the table? After all, 51% of the population are women and surely we need to have their perspective reflected in our decision making. I, therefore, ask the Leader to table a motion on this matter in the autumn. It matters to all of the men here, too, as they have wives or partners and daughters. It is about the Ireland we want to have and that is what this Parliament is about.