Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Senator Norris is right, it was two votes. No one can say it would not have made a difference. No one can say that if people had been there to represent voices from Northern Ireland that are not being heard at Westminster at present, it might not have made all the difference to those in the Labour Party, my own sister party, who are shamefully failing to achieve a compromise to stop a no-deal Brexit from happening. We are on a cliff edge with this. It is devastating to see our nearest neighbours in such a catastrophic state. That there are people who could have done something and did not will be seen as really terrible in times to come.

I commend Mary McAleese for her comments on Friday. I was privileged to chair an event at which she spoke on Friday evening at the Law Society in Blackhall Place for the Hibernian Law Journal. She spoke so powerfully and movingly of her experience growing up in Belfast in the Ardoyne and her fears for the return of a hard border. No one listening to that could fail to be moved or to wish to do anything possible to avert the no-deal catastrophe that is so chillingly coming our way.

Today marks 100 years since the appointment of Constance Markievicz as Minister for Labour. She was the first woman Minister in our Government and in any western European country. Although her appointment was historic and must be commemorated today, unfortunately it took another 60 years before a second woman was appointed to Cabinet. That was Máire Geoghegan-Quinn in 1979. In 2019, we still have only ever had 19 individual woman serve as Cabinet Ministers. I am using today to call upon the Government to do more to promote the achievements and successes of women in politics, to encourage more women to enter and participate in politics and to commit to including more women in Cabinet. They could have done so this time but the Government did not. The Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar, chose not to appoint more women to Cabinet. In marking the centenary of Countess Markievicz's achievement, it would be well worth seeking to ensure we have more women in Government positions in future.