The Irish Examiner View: Gender imbalance a poor reflection on Seanad

It’s almost seven years since a proposal to abolish the Seanad was rejected by a Brexit-scale margin of 51.7% to 48.3%. Though the referendum was closely run thing it was more an expression of voter indifference that anything else. Fewer that four in 10 citizens — just 39.2% — were moved enough to engage in the process.

The result provoked all sorts of commitments to reform but as ever — events dear boy, events — priorities changed and the focus changed. As a consequence, all of the arguments for abolishing the institution are as valid today as they were in 2013.

Indeed, the current election count suggests that reform — political or social — remains remote, especially on gender balance. This is especially so for Fine Gael voters who were unmoved by an appeal from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to vote for female candidates. No FG women had been elected when three of the five vocational panels had been counted.

Even if you regard the Seanad as an unnecessary indulgence for our politicians, the enduring gender imbalance is less than ideal and reflects poorly on our democracy.