Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)

The Minister obviously made a big impression at the meeting because the chief executive officer resigned after it. She has stated it was her personal view that the Government had shown scant regard for women's rights and her resignation was a personal protest against its indifference. This year the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, will introduce legislation on gender quotas and all political parties are committed to increasing the number of female candidates in 2014. The Minister has emphasised that the organisation is independent of the Department and it is this independence which enables it to obtain external funding. For the Minister to impose a 35% cut completely disregards other Government strategies. When did the council communicate the chief executive officer's resignation to him? What is the average reduction to other organisations which receive funding from the Department?

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