Political reform - Honesty cannot be imposed

SOME long-overdue reforms designed to restore faith in our political institutions were announced yesterday.

Environment Minister Phil Hogan’s proposals focussed on political funding and the under-representation of women in the Oireachtas. He recognised that more women must be elected to the Dáil.

For myriad reasons women are grossly under-represented. February’s election returned 25 women — not one from Fianna Fáil — to work with 141 men. This imbalance is reflected in nearly every elected statutory body across the country. The system is so out of kilter that the Government has decided it will cut funding to political parties that do not ensure at least 30% of their election candidates are women. That ratio will rise to 40% after seven years.