FIANNA FÁIL backbencher Mary O’Rourke has said she would not support financial penalties for political parties that did not ensure a percentage of their candidates in the next general election were women.
The proposal is part of a package of measures aimed at encouraging more women into politics, being considered by the Green Party Minister of State for Equality Mary White.
However, Mrs O’Rourke said she disagreed with the idea. “I don’t agree with it at all. I just think it’s another version of the quota system. A candidate should go on merit and not on sex.” Mrs O’Rourke added that she thought very highly of Ms White.
Wicklow Labour TD and former deputy party leader Liz McManus announced last Friday that she would be stepping down from the Dáil at the next election.
And Olwyn Enright, a Fine Gael deputy for Laois-Offaly since 2002, announced last Monday that she would not contest the next general election.
The Irish Timessurveyed all 23 women deputies last month and established that most did not want political parties to be required to adopt gender quotas in their candidate selection process.
