Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

What Deputy Berry said is music to my ears. I said this recently to the Committee on Gender Equality. I think employers have an obligation to facilitate people to participate in politics, particularly local politics. One of the big challenges facing all political parties will be that many people, if they get jobs in particular sectors, will see it as a career-limiting move even to indicate an interest in local politics. All of society needs to understand that democracy is fundamental to how we have operated for the last 100 years. Ireland has progressed dramatically. It is transformed between 1922 and 2022, with huge progress because of democracy. There is active participatory democracy in Parliament and in local government. I have said to employment bodies and others that they have an obligation to make sure that people are encouraged to go for election in local elections. I thank Deputy Berry for raising the issue. I agree with him. I will have to check this out. Public sector employers in particular should do this.

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