Low number of female appointees criticised as 'an affront to gender equality'

Despite the electorate voting in a record number of women in the general election, this is not reflected in the number of female senior ministers, which is down 25%

Ivana Bacik said there are as many men called James in Cabinet as senior women. Picture: Maxwells

The decision to appoint just three women as senior Cabinet ministers has been labelled an "affront to gender equality".

Micheál Martin announced his Cabinet this evening, with Helen McEntee, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Norma Foley, Mary Butler, and Hildegarde Naughton included.