Creighton exposes ‘toxic’ Dáil culture

A junior minister has claimed there is hidden bullying in politics and a toxic culture in her party where female politicians are being treated unequally.

Lucinda Creighton, European affairs minister, backed plans for quotas of female politicians and said demanding schedules for female TDs made it almost impossible to have children.

In a candid interview along with husband Senator Paul Bradford, Ms Creighton said she was a strong woman but was struck by the atmosphere at Leinster House, which was very different to her time at the Law Library or in Dublin City Council.

“As a TD in the Oireachtas before the last election, I found that period really difficult. There certainly is a lot of latent bullying that goes on and there certainly is a lot of culture that is really quite toxic.”

The 32 year old said she was now treated differently because she was a minister. But when asked to clarify what she meant by toxic culture, she added: “Sometimes it’s difficult to define, there’s the lovely girl syndrome ‘ah sure, she would say that, wouldn’t she’, this sort of attitude.

“I would say it’s there in our parliamentary party, in Fine Gael it’s there, all the political parties where women just aren’t necessarily treated in the same way or with the same degree of respect as men.”

Speaking on Miriam Meets on RTÉ radio, the Dublin South East TD also said there was huge internal rivalry within parties.

“You see TDs always looking behind themselves, worried about what’s coming up behind them.

“The focus is on trying to outdo the opponents in your own party or another party in your constituency all the time. So that means you literally have to be at every dog fight.”

It was “virtually impossible” to have children, she said, adding that the hours of a TD were certainly a consideration on whether to have a family or not.

Ms Creighton said she travelled more than any minister, regularly worked weekends and did not get home until close to midnight some weekday nights.

She backed Government plans to compel parties to run a quota of female candidates in elections.

The Electoral Amendment Bill, which proposes reducing funds for parties who fail to do so, is currently before the Houses of the Oireachtas.

Ms Creighton said more women in politics would help address issues of inequality in Leinster House.

Sen Bradford differed on the proposal. He fears quotas are not good as women candidates may be viewed as “token candidates”.

A Fine Gael spokeswoman said the party had returned more female TDs than other party in the last general election. “These are her [Ms Creighton’s] own viewpoints. The minister for the environment is bringing forward legislation which will address the imbalance between female and male representatives,” she added.