Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent)

I reiterate that I applaud what the Minister is doing with this Bill and its passage today is an historic event in Ireland. No one desires quotas and I do not believe women coming in to politics seek them. However, as Members are aware, the evidence from all over the world shows that in a political system such as that which obtains in Ireland at present, which has systemic discrimination against women entering politics at a cultural level and in previous times at a legislative level, the only way one can achieve a balance is through quotas. In time, they can be taken away and I note some countries have used quotas to reach the balance and subsequently have removed them. I told the Minister on Second and Committee Stages that I applaud this measure and consider the Bill to be historic legislation.

The amendment concerns the time at which the quota moves from 30% to 40%. On the assumption that this Dáil will last for its expected duration, there will be a move to 30% within three and a half or four years. I understand the Labour Party needs only to find three to five candidates to meet the quota, while Fine Gael must find approximately 13 candidates to so do. The issue is that as currently written, the legislation provides that the 40% quota will come in at the election held seven years after the next election. This means there will be an election in three and a half or four years, at which time the 30% quota will be introduced. This is historic and is to be welcomed. Thereafter, however, seven years must elapse before being able to go to the next level. If one assumes full Dáil terms, this will result in the 40% quota being introduced in 14 years' time. My concern is that having considered the 30% quota, the parties will decide to find the additional candidates needed to hit that quota, that is, three or four and 13 in the case of the Labour Party and Fine Gael, respectively, but that they will not need to worry about it again for another decade. I believe such a timelag would kill the momentum required to achieve real cultural reform and proper representation of women within our democracy, which is the spirit of the Bill. Members should recall that in respect of female representation worldwide, Ireland is currently ranked in 86th place and lies behind Afghanistan. Sadly, if one considers the results from the last general election, we are moving backwards. While the 30% quota is important, it will be just as important to have a strong signal from the Minister, Deputy Hogan, and the Government to the effect that Ireland is moving to 30% and then to 40%. The message should not be that Ireland is moving to 30%, after which there will be a ten-year wait before going to 40%.

It is possible, based on the Committee Stage debate, that the intention of the Bill was not necessarily to wait an additional ten years and to have the introduction of the 40% quota in 14 years' time. Consequently, the amendment as tabled provides for a move to a quota of 30% at the next election - let us assume this will take place in three or four years - and then, at the subsequent election, to move to a quota of 40%. I understand there could be a concern that in the event of an election being held in three and a half years' time, another election could be held a year later and such momentum potentially would be too quick and might force the system to move in an unhealthy way. Consequently, I suggest the Minister might consider accepting an oral amendment. The first line on page 27 of the Bill provides for "7 years". In other words, we will wait seven years after the next election and in the election after that, the quota will move to 40%. I asked the Minister to consider changing the aforementioned number from 7 to 3. This would avoid the scenario in which there was a move to 30% in three and a half years' time, followed within a year and a half by another election at which the quota rose to 40%. In specifying three rather than seven years, Members would ensure the process does not move too fast but, critically, would also ensure a move to 30% in three or four years from now and thereafter a move to 40% in four or five years' time.

It is a fairly minor change but before I was elected to Dáil Éireann, I spent several years working both here and abroad on cultural change within large complex public organisations. Based on that experience, I believe that achieving the type of cultural change Members seek and having proper representation of women within Dáil Éireann would be best served by maintaining the momentum wherein we move to 30% within three and a half years and then go to 40% in five years' time. I believe that is the spirit of what is intended. I ask the Minister to consider accepting an oral amendment to change the period from seven years to three years.

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