Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am coming back in because I have just realised that in my ordering of my amendments, I missed amendments Nos. 3 and 8, which are part of this grouping. Amendment No. 3 reads:

In page 17, between lines 8 and 9, to insert the following: "(2) Of the ordinary members of the Commission, not less than 2 shall be women, and in circumstances where there are 6 whole ordinary members, not less than 3 of them shall be women.”.

The purpose of this amendment is to ensure a minimum level of representation of women among the membership of the electoral commission. As drafted, the provisions relating to the membership of the commission do not refer to the need for the achievement of greater gender equality or parity in State bodies and on State boards. This amendment would insert a new subsection in section 8, which sets out minimum levels of representation of women among the ordinary membership of the commission. A legislative precedent exists for this amendment in the legislation that established the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission in 2014.

We tabled a similar amendment on Committee Stage of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill, which sought to set out minimum levels of representation of women in the proposed media commission. That amendment was not accepted on foot of the concerns of the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, that the provisions might be contrary to employment law, given that the commissioner posts are to be advertised and filled individually in the case of the proposed media commission. The amendment in this instance takes account of the feedback the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Mediaprovided during consideration of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill. The amendment sets out minimum requirements in respect of the ordinary members of the proposed electoral commission only, which, presumably, will be filled during the same competition.

I am sure we are all in agreement on the need for greater equality in respect of the representation of women and non-binary and intersex persons in all sectors, but especially in political life. We absolutely need this on the public-facing side of politics, but it is critical that representation within the body which will have oversight of the conduct of elections and referendums in the State is good from the outset.

According to the World Economic Forum's 2020 report on the global gender gap, it will take 99 years for the gender gap to be closed at the current pace of change. We need to be more aggressive in addressing gender imbalance in our workplaces and in public life if we wish to see that gap closed in our lifetimes or the lifetimes of our children. Accordingly, I hope the Minister of State will accept amendment No. 3.

Amendment No. 8 reads:

In page 18, between lines 29 and 30, to insert the following:

“(g) matters connected with human rights and equality, and

(h) without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (g), matters connected with persons, or classes of persons, who are disadvantaged by reference to the following factors, which take their meaning from section 2 of the Employment Equality Act 1998:

(i) gender;

(ii) civil status;

(iii) family status;

(iv) sexual orientation;

(v) religious belief;

(vi) age;

(vii) disability;

(viii) race, including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin;”.

The purpose of this amendment is to ensure greater diversity, as Senator Flynn outlined, in the make-up and perspectives of the proposed electoral commission in addition to an understanding of human rights and equality matters. As drafted, the Bill provides only that the Public Appointments Service should have regard to the desirability of ordinary members having knowledge of or experience in electoral matters, electoral systems, public administration and governance, financial matters and advertising. It is important that the commission is both reflective and understanding of the diversity of Irish life and society and has a good grasp of the implications of its powers for human rights, equality and civil liberties in Ireland. The commission will have a wide range of functions, including explaining referendums and electoral processes to the public. Importantly, the commission will also have responsibility for encouraging public participation in the electoral and democratic processes of the State. Persons who possess a knowledge and understanding of disenfranchisement are best placed to provide advice on addressing it. We need to engage more people, and different types of people, in the electoral process and in political life more generally. Politics is everybody's business, but the reality is that many people feel like politics is not for them. When I say use the term "not for them", I am not talking about their own interest; I mean they do not feel seen or heard by elected representatives or in political spaces.

If we are serious about change, having knowledge and understanding of diversity and inclusion at the level of the electoral commission is critical. There is an expression I heard recently, "Nothing about us without us", and it is worth bearing the sentiment of that expression in mind when we consider the variety of perspectives on the proposed electoral commission. A legislative precedent for this amendment exists already in the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014, which provides that minorities and minority interests are represented in the membership of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. It is really important that a similar provision is made in this legislation, and I hope the Minister of State will agree.