Gender not a factor in TDs resigning, Gilmore declares

GENDER has nothing to do with the recent decisions by two senior Labour women to resign from politics, according to party leader, Eamon Gilmore.

He said he was “surprised” with the announcement on Tuesday that Mary Upton will quit at the next general election – which came just weeks after a similar announcement by former deputy Labour leader, Liz McManus.

Their decisions, along with that of Fine Gael’s Olwyn Enright, has ignited debate about gender imbalances in the Dáil where just 23 out of 166 TDs are female.