Gender Quotas Database
Ireland
Northern Europe
Single / Lower House
Dáil Éireann / House of Representatives
Total seats | 160 |
Total women | 37 |
Percentage of women | 23% |
Gender Quota target | 40% |
Election year | 2020 |
Electoral system | STV |
Quota type | Legislated Candidate Quotas |
Election details | IDEA Voter Turnout - IPU Parline |
Legal source | Details | |
---|---|---|
Quota type: Legislated Candidate Quotas | Electoral law |
(Section 17.c) Payments calculated in accordance with this Part shall be reduced by 50 percent, unless at least 40 percent of the candidates whose candidatures were authenticated by the qualified party at the preceding general election were women and at least 40 percent were men. (Electoral -Political Funding- Act. Part 6) |
Political funding legislation |
(Section 17.c) Payments calculated in accordance with this Part shall be reduced by 50 percent, unless at least 40 percent of the candidates whose candidatures were authenticated by the qualified party at the preceding general election were women and at least 40 percent were men. (Electoral -Political Funding- Act. Part 6) |
|
Legal sanctions for non-compliance | Electoral law |
(Section 17.c) Payments calculated in accordance with this Part shall be reduced by 50 percent, unless at least 40 percent of the candidates whose candidatures were authenticated by the qualified party at the preceding general election were women and at least 40 percent were men. (Electoral -Political Funding- Act. Part 6) |
Is the provision of direct public funding to political parties related to gender equality among candidates? | Yes |
if parties fail to respect legislative quotas they lose half of the State funding they receive annually. the law foresees an increasing in the legislative quota from 30 per cento to 40 per cent for elections to be held in 2020 See more in International IDEA's Political Finance database |
Are there provisions for other financial advantages to encourage gender equality in political parties? | Yes, funds earmarked for gender activities | See more in International IDEA's Political Finance database |
Upper House
Seanad Éireann / Senate
Total seats | 60 |
Total women | 24 |
Percentage of women | 40% |
Gender Quota target | |
Election year | 2020 |
Electoral system | |
Quota type | No legislated |
Election details | IPU Parline |
Legal source | Details | |
---|---|---|
No data available |
Voluntary Political Party Quotas*
Party | Official Name | Details, Quota provisions |
---|---|---|
Fianna Fail | Fianna Fail (FF) |
Increasing female representation, ensuring more women are present at key decision makingprocesses. Implementation to a 30% gender quota system for local elections candidates for political parties |
Fianna Fail: the Republican Party |
In 2005 Fianna Fail adopted a 30 percent gender quota for internal party positions, with the target of selecting 1/3 female candidates for the next local elections (about 2008). |
|
Fine Gael |
The party had a 33 percent target for women in local elections in the mid 1990's. |
|
Green Party | Comhaontas Glas |
The party has a 40/60 gender balance among election candidates (1992). In order to qualify for 50 percent of the party funding within the Green Party, a 40/60 gender balance among election candidates must be attained. |
Labour Party |
The Labour party previously had a 25 percent quota for women on party lists. In 2007 the party adopted a 30 percent quota for women regarding internal Party positions, for example to the National Executive Council which is the highest Party body. Party members have passed a motion to have 50 percent women candidates in the 2013 Local Elections. Labour has the highest percentage of women Members of the Parliament in Ireland (35 percent). |
|
Sinn Fein |
Sinn Fein has an internal party quota of 40 percent for women. |
|
The Workers Party | (WP) |
WP has a 40 percent quota for women on party lists (1991). The party is not represented in parliament. |
* Only political parties represented in parliament are included. When a country has legislated quotas in place, only political parties that have voluntary quotas that exceed the percentage/number of the national quota legislation are presented in this table.
Additional information
Following several years of active lobbying by gender equality and women’s rights advocates, the amendment to the Elections Act’s Section on State Funding of Political Parties and Gender Balance was approved by the legislature in 2012. Following its adoption, groups promoting gender balance in public offices have called for this regulation to be extended to cover the sub-national elections to be held in 2014.
Sources
Legal Sources:
Other Sources:
- Parliament of Ireland - Link
- Electoral Commission - Link
- Fianna Fail Electoral Manifesto 2020
- Interparliamentary Union [IPU] Parline - Ireland Country Profile
Additional reading
- See the latest updates on Ireland on iKNOW Politics
- Kelpie, C. (May 10, 2021). Women in politics face misogyny and abuse - O'Neill.BBC News NI.
- Kenny, R. (June 25, 2021). Women in Irish Politics: Could gender quotas be the answer? Stand.ie
- O'Riordan, E. (March 1, 2021). Online abuse an 'increasing barrier' to women in politics. The Irish Times.
- Farsaci, L. (April 30, 2020). Ireland has 10th lowest representation of women in national parliament in Europe. Irish Mirror.
- Demolder, K. (Jan 17, 2020). Ireland needs to elect more women and this is how we achieve it. Irish Central.
- Galligan, Y. 1998. Women and Politics in Contemporary Ireland: From the Margins to the Mainstream. Pinter.
- Inter-Parliamentary Union. 1997. Democracy Still in the Making: A World Comparative Study. Geneva: Inter-Parliamentary Union.
- Irish Parliament website, http://www.oireachtas.ie/
Explore more resources: Europe | Global
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