Rabbitte accused of sexism in furore over radio remarks
The veteran TD said that the new FF front-bench spokeswoman were chosen by FF leader Micheál Martin just to boost their profile during the course of the election and they were not elected TDs.
But Mr Rabbitte caused uproar by claiming the move was akin to Mr Martin ambling down a street and picking out attractive women for a photograph or a movie part.
The frontbench choices were not innovative and were a move “outside of the House [Dáil Éireann] in order to put a sprinkling of women in the photograph,” Mr Rabbitte told RTE’s Today with Pat Kenny.
Declaring FF had a poor record in female candidates, he added: “You might as well wander down Grafton Street and see if you can meet a couple of good looking women and say would you ever mind coming up for the photograph. It’s only for four weeks.
“It’s a job part as an extra in a movie.”
Fianna Fáil’s two new female spokeswoman last night were angered and shocked by Mr Rabbitte’s comments and called them sexist.
Averil Power, FF’s new spokeswoman on political reform, said such comments would discourage women from running for election.
“I was horrified, I was disappointed he would say that. I’ve been appointed to my position because of my experience.”
Ms Power was until recently an adviser to Mary Hanafin and was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2009 local elections. She is contesting a seat in Dublin North East.
A Trinity College Dublin graduate, she studied international politics and had recently submitted proposals on political reform to FF which was why, she claimed, she got the position.
“To state that I got the job just to brighten up the photos, I think is unfair to not just those involved, but I think it’s an insult to all women.
“I think it’s a shame that when women are given important jobs on their own merit that you then have to deal with sexist comments, like what Pat Rabbitte has said, and it certainly wouldn’t encourage more women to stand up and run for election when they get a serious job that there’s a claim that they got it because they look great in a photo.”
Commenting on the Labour TD’s words, fellow new FF frontbench spokeswoman Mary Fitzpatrick said:
“I’m stunned, I can’t believe that he would say that. It shows how completely out of touch he is, he’s just been there too long.”
Ms Fitzpatrick said that despite not being an elected TD, she had been elected in Dublin South Central since 2004, had topped the poll in 2009 and had considerable business experience.
Mr Rabbitte said: “To suggest that people who haven’t even been elected to the house can be frontbench spokespersons is just purely to have them there to give them some profile for the duration of the election.
“There’s no other purpose to it, that is transparently the objective.”
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