Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

The programme for Government contains a commitment that: "Public funding for political parties will be tied to the level of participation by women as candidates those parties achieve."

On 8 June 2011, I published the general scheme of the Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011. The general scheme includes provision for a requirement that to qualify for full State funding under Part 3 of the Electoral Act 1997 a qualified political party will have to have at least 30% women candidates and at least 30% men candidates at the next general election. This is to rise to 40% after seven years. Half of every payment to a qualified political party is to be made contingent on meeting those requirements.

The relevant Heads of the Bill to provide for these new arrangements are set out in Part 5 of the general scheme, as published. The approach provided for in the scheme is both practical and sound and I intend to proceed in this manner.

Payments made to qualified political parties under Part 3 of the Electoral Act 1997 are linked to performance at a general election and these new requirements will therefore apply in respect of candidates of political parties at a general election. It is also my intention that the measures would have a knock-on effect by providing an incentive to political parties voluntarily to apply similar arrangements at local elections.

The new legislative provisions are being designed as an incentive mechanism to encourage political parties to apply a more equal gender balance in the selection of candidates that are put forward at a Dáil general election. They are a proportionate response to address a significant problem of public concern within Ireland's democratic system.

At the general election held in February 2011, 86 of the 566 candidates who sought election were women, representing 15.19% of the total. Of the 166 members of Dáil Éireann returned after the election, 25 were women, representing 15.06% of the total. The proportion of men to women in the population of Ireland is approximately 50-50, yet this has never been reflected in Dáil representation. This modest proposal will give political parties an opportunity to have greater representation by women in the Dáil and to ensure greater representation by women on the slate of candidates.

See this speech in context