Junior ministerial posts will address Cabinet gender imbalance – Taoiseach

Micheál Martin was responding to criticism of the new Government for only appointing three women as senior ministers

Taoiseach Micheál Martin also referred to forthcoming appointments to the Seanad and to Dáil committees when speaking to the media in Co Roscommon. Picture: Cate McCurry/PA

The gender imbalance at Cabinet will be addressed by the upcoming appointments of junior ministers and at Dáil committees, the Taoiseach has said. 

Fianna Fáil took some criticism last week due to the gender imbalance in its nine cabinet appointees. 

Of those, just one is a senior minister — Minister for Children Norma Foley. 

Mary Butler is a super-junior minister and government chief whip.

Overall in the new Cabinet, only three senior ministers are women, compared to four in the previous Dáil. They are Ms Foley, Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and Education Minister Helen McEntee.

That imbalance was labelled "an affront to gender inequality" and critics said it would be off-putting to women interested in becoming involved in politics.

The message that is being sent out to women, especially those who are in or thinking about entering politics, is very poor, said National Women's Council of Ireland director Orla O'Connor last week.

She said it is not a good start to this new government and gender equality should be taken into serious consideration when it comes to the appointment of junior ministers.

It is expected that Micheál Martin will look to add women to the junior ministerial ranks on Wednesday and said in Roscommon on Tuesday that this would also be seen in Dáil committees and his Seanad appointments.

"There will be a lot of other appointments as ministers of state tomorrow, with Dáil committees, and then senators. And in their fullness, you will see us being strong around the gender balance issue."