Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

As women Members of Dáil Éireann, we truly stand on the shoulders of giants in terms of the women who fought and won suffrage for women and who led the way in women becoming Members of Parliament and, as has been pointed out, the one sole and lonely member of the Cabinet in almost 50 years in Constance Markievicz.

I have two proposals that I would like women to focus on. One is that the next Government should comprise preferably 50:50 men and women, which would be a real breakthrough in the spirit of the women who achieved suffrage. To be honest, as women, we can do it for ourselves and, obviously, there is no great rush of men to join us this evening, with the exception of your honourable self, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, and we are very grateful you are here. If we really want equality, it is not good enough to be a member of a Cabinet where, one by one, over the decades, the numbers are increasing. We need women's life experience to be present not just in the Dáil, which it is now in greater numbers, but particularly in Cabinet. I would say there are probably no women in the Dáil who do not have ambitions at some stage to serve in the Government of their country.

When I became Tánaiste I had many conversations with the then Taoiseach about the lack of women in Irish politics. I am glad to say he appointed an extra woman, the Minister, Deputy Heather Humphreys, and I was delighted that my colleague, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, became Minister for Education and Skills. What had been three women around the Cabinet table of roughly 18 suddenly became five, and five makes a difference - it is not a lot but it is better. Let us come together and say that we will have a minimum of 40% women in the next Government, and that, preferably, we will work towards 50%.

I am very disappointed with the Taoiseach, Deputy Leo Varadkar, and I told him this at the time, although I know he said he may address it eventually. He is young, with many younger members of Cabinet, but he was so biased against the presence of very able women in his own party, who were overlooked not just to serve in government as Ministers of State, but at the Cabinet table, although both roles are important.

My second proposal is the following. In 1966, we renamed huge numbers of public institutions around the country and all our big railway stations - while we still have them, and I hope we will - in honour of the men of 1916. The women of 1916 got almost no mention in terms of public buildings and institutions. I did not like the idea of the children's hospital being named "Phoenix", and while I know the reasons are good, the name is inadequate. It should be called after Dr. Kathleen Lynn, a veteran of 1916 and also of the Lockout, like Constance Markievicz, and who fed families in Liberty Hall who were going hungry in 1913. It should be named the Kathleen Lynn national children's hospital because Dr. Kathleen Lynn, as well as her many other achievements, was also the founder of St. Ultan's Children's Hospital in Charlemont Street in Dublin.

They are two very simple propositions. The first is that, in all our parties and groups, we work for women to have a 50:50 presence in the next Government, and I have no doubt this is perfectly possible in terms of the broad range of talented women who are present in Dáil Éireann. The second is that we call the children's hospital after Dr. Kathleen Lynn in the same way that, in my own constituency, Connolly Hospital is rightly called after James Connolly, one of the signatories in 1916. We need active memorials to the women who were involved in the suffrage movement. There is no shortage of buildings or features in Ireland which can be named, and I am sure lots of people will have their individual suggestions. However, we should start with Dr. Kathleen Lynn. I do not like to be what Bill Clinton often called a bean counter but we need women in significant numbers in every role of life, particularly in the Dáil and the Seanad, and in holding all of the Cabinet and Government offices.

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