Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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1354. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to introduce legislation to extend gender quotas to local elections in time for the 2019 elections; if work is being undertaken on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35989/18]

John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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A provision of the Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Act 2012 links the State funding of political parties in the Electoral Acts to the achievement of a gender balance in candidate selection for Dáil general elections. To receive full State funding under the Electoral Acts, a qualified political party had to have at least 30% women candidates and at least 30% men candidates at the election. This will rise to 40% in 2023. The provision came into effect for the February 2016 general election.

State funding under the Electoral Acts is not provided to qualified political parties on the basis of local electoral performance. However, it is envisaged that the gender balance provisions of the Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Act 2012 at national level will have important knock-on effects at local level resulting in greater gender balance among candidates for the local elections in 2019.

In line with a commitment in the National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017-2020 to investigate potential supports to promote the participation of women in the 2019 local government elections, my Department, having consulted with key stakeholders, will in the coming weeks submit a report setting out a range of possible practical initiatives which could be taken to meet the commitment of the National Strategy for the 2019 local elections and beyond.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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1355. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to increase gender quota percentages for general elections; if work is being undertaken on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35990/18]

John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Part 6 of the Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Act 2012 (which amends Part III of the Electoral Act 1997) provides that, in order to receive full State funding under the Electoral Acts, a qualified political party must have at least 30% women candidates and at least 30% men candidates at a general election. This came into effect for the first time at the general election of February 2016.

The 2012 Act also provides that the general election held next after the expiration of seven years from that 2016 general election will see the 30% gender provisions rise to 40% i.e. the 40% gender provisions will apply at any general election taking place from 2023 onwards.