Holly Cairns told she needs a 'good hobby' as she will lose her seat in the Dáil 

The Social Democrats leader said she is 'still facing that establishment thinking' in politics 

Holly Cairns said that as leader of the Social Democrats, she is keen for the party to elect more women. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns has said she was told she needs to have a “good hobby”, because she isn’t going to get re-elected to the Dáil.

Ms Cairns was speaking at the 'Women for Election Count Her In' conference in Cork on Friday, and said the comment was made to her by someone “in the Leinster House bubble” after she featured on a radio show panel.

Ms Cairns, who became leader of the party in March, said she is “still facing that establishment thinking.”

“I get comments that I took a Fine Gael seat and that they're going to take it back next time,” the Cork South-West TD said.

“Recently, I was told that I needed to have a good hobby because I wasn't going to get re-elected.

“I'm telling you this because as a woman in politics you'll encounter this type of resistance.

You'll encounter this status quo thinking, these comments, these put downs. Be prepared for them, but more importantly be prepared to prove them wrong.

Ms Cairns told the conference, which aims to have 50/50 representation in the Dáil by 2030, that as leader, she is keen for the party to elect more women.

“We're gearing up for next year’s local elections and I have been very clear that I want to run as many candidates as possible.”

She said to help more women run for election, there is a need to have honest and candid conversations about the barriers within political parties.

“We all know of cases where larger parties run women as paper candidates to reach gender quotas and that is not only wrong, but insulting,” she said.

She said the pressure public representatives face can be considerable in terms of social media abuse, and the strain councillors are put under given it’s a full time job with part-time pay.

However, she said more women are needed at the decision making table and urged others to run for election.

The conference also heard that there is a "crucial lack of implementation" of measures aimed at making Ireland's political system gender equal.