Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Unfortunately, I cannot predict how the answers will go. Clearly it is within the right of any witness not to answer questions. We have seen it happen previously in Oireachtas committees that witness did not answer questions or did not answer them adequately. One cannot predict what answers will be given, but certainly the committee has expressly reserved that right.

I support the calls made yesterday by Senators Zappone, Hayden and others for a debate on homelessness. I am conscious that we will have a debate this afternoon with the Minister for Social Protection on the issue of rent supplement and the youth guarantee.

That is very welcome. The issues to do with rent supplement feed directly into policies on homelessness. I know the Leader has made every attempt to ensure we will have a debate on homelessness with the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan. I will do anything I can to assist in ensuring that debate will be held because it is a very important issue.

I ask for a debate on the issue of the implementation of the Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Act which provides for a 30% quota or target of candidates of each gender for all political parties in the next general election. I ask this in the context of a very changed gender breakdown of councillors following the local elections. Yesterday I spoke about the defeats suffered by the Labour Party but many Labour councillors and candidates were returned. In particular, women candidates and councillors appeared to fare better than men. The overall picture for the gender breakdown of councillors across all the local authorities shows a significantly improved situation for women. A total of 21% of councillors are women compared to only 16% after the 2009 election. There has been a significant increase in the number of women councillors. It has been estimated by Women for Election that this represents a 33% increase in the number of women councillors, given the reduction in the number of seats.

The by-election results show that we have the highest representation ever of women in the Dáil, with 27 women, 16.3%. This is very welcome. I ask the Leader for a debate on what this means for the implementation of the political funding legislation which was initiated in this House and which was passed with general support and which it is hoped will result in a great increase in the numbers of women candidates in the next general election. What we have learned from the local authority elections is that where there is an increase in women candidates this follows through to an increase in women who are elected. People will vote for women and every political party has an obligation to ensure it has a significant proportion of women candidates at the next election.