Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

If we were to say to the universities that 40% of their candidates for seats in the Seanad had to be women, I do not know which of the male Senators here would have to give way. Half of the Dáil Deputies in my party are female.

I attend many health care conferences and there has been a complete transformation from my last job when I would look across the room to see if any woman was in the place. The opposite is now often the case because the health profession is dominated by women. I recently visited UCD where about 80% of the members of the medical society are female. That is the future. I do not know what is happening in pharmacy.