Party becomes more female-friendly

WOMEN will have a greater say in all decisions made by Fianna Fáil’s power structures after a series of proposals were approved at the weekend.

Delegates passed several motions aimed at making the party more gender-balanced. It came after a series of internal rows in recent weeks about Fianna Fáil’s failure to select women candidates.

At a selection convention in Cork East, local councillor Mary Linehan Foley criticised the party’s lack of gender balance after failing to win a nomination. In Cork South Central, councillor Deirdre Forde rejected pleadings from party headquarters not to stand for selection. She, too, failed to secure a nomination.

And in Dublin North Central, councillor Deirdre Heney criticised headquarters for deciding not to run her as a third candidate in the constituency along with Junior Minister Ivor Callely and Deputy Sean Haughey.

In the aftermath of the Cork conventions, senior party officials insisted the women had simply lost out to better candidates - Junior Minister Michael Ahern and Deputy Ned O’Keeffe in Cork East; Enterprise Minister Micheál Martin and Deputy John Dennehy in Cork South Central. In Dublin North Central, they said it was a matter of practicality: the constituency has been reduced from four seats to three, and a third candidate could split the party’s vote.

But, partly to counter allegations of bias, the party’s ard comhairle tabled a series of motions at the weekend aimed at making the party more female-friendly.

Despite opposition to some of the motions a passionate speech by Finance Minister Brian Cowen convinced sufficient voters to pass them comfortably.

From here on in, at least one-third of delegates selecting candidates at conventions, or passing motions at ard fheiseanna, will have to be women.

The so-called ‘committee of 15’ - an inner circle of the ard comhairle - has been increased to 20 members, with an equal gender split. Those members were elected over the weekend.

In his opening address, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern admitted the party’s failure to achieve gender balance.

“We have to frankly acknowledge that, for too long, there have been too few women as party officers, candidates and public representatives,” he said.