Lucinda Creighton has said there is “nothing Machiavellian” about her decision to invite only woman political correspondents to a briefing on her new party.

Ms Creighton emailed some journalists asking them to attend an off the record breakfast briefing on her plans for the party on Friday, but it later emerged that no male correspondents were invited.

“There are an awful lot of female journalists. I just thought it would be interesting for me as well. I’m trying to inspire women to come into political life generally,” she told The Irish Times.

“Leinster House is a pretty male-dominated environment, both in media and politics.

“There’s nothing more Machiavellian about it than that.”