Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

The Deputy will appreciate that this is the first time a Minister has brought forward this proposal. This is the first Government to bring forward a meaningful proposal to increase the participation rate of women and to give them the opportunity to be candidates in a general election. The funding is linked to general elections. If it was linked to local elections, I would be able to apply it down the line. Perhaps that will happen in the future. However, I accept the Deputy's sentiments. I have no difficulty with the spirit and principle of the question, but I am linking this to general elections, in the first instance, and asking political parties to have due regard to it in the local elections.

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