Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome all the contributions to the debate. In what was a busy day for the Minister for Justice and Equality yesterday, his office worked with us on the Bill. We recognise there are practical issues and we will not divide the House on the Bill but we are seeking to have it referred formally to a committee in order that it will not be filed away under any other business. It needs to go into the system.

The legislation was tabled because we have a problem as a party and as an Oireachtas. Both genders face this problem. We need to make the Oireachtas much more family friendly in the conduct of its business. I met a former colleague from Fine Gael earlier who retired in 2011 and she looks 20 years younger than when she was a Member. I meet many former colleagues who are in the same place. The best thing one can do for one's appearance and health is to get out of here. While that is humorous, it is the reality about the way we work. Deputy Feighan's description of his week is typical of my week. The Minister of State's job is particularly onerous as Ireland holds the EU Presidency. We get on with it and we leave voluntarily or otherwise but no change is made to the way we do business and then we wonder why people feel disconnected from the system and do not want to get involved. We have many changes to make. I will seek a motion on Tuesday on which we all agree to refer this legislation to a committee such as the Committee of Procedures and Privileges. The Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, Deputy Kehoe, referred to the 2009 all-party report but we have not moved that on. I had the privilege of sitting on the justice committee but it has not moved the issue on. The 2011 election was a disappointment in breaking the ceiling to get more women to participate in politics. We went through the figures earlier.

I welcome quotas, although I was not a supporter of them. I still am not sure about them but we need them. Unless we change the way we do business, not just in the Oireachtas but at local authority level, quotas will not resolve the problem. Deputy Ó Snodaigh referred to people pulling and dragging out of him at all times. Quotas will be a quick fix but they will not address the issue of attracting people into this profession or calling. I welcome the fact that we had a good debate but quotas are not the answer to the problem. This will not win votes for us and people will say politicians are worrying about themselves again. We are not worried about ourselves; we are worried about making the Oireachtas easier to get into and a more family friendly place in which to serve. If it can be, more people will get involved in politics and challenge the system. That is what we need at the end of the day.

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