Statement: Senator Bacik Participates in Trinity Panel at Hearing of Joint Oireachtas Committee

STATEMENT BY SENATOR IVANA BACIK

Labour Senator for Dublin University Panel

Tuesday 2^nd February 2010

SENATOR BACIK PARTICIPATES IN TRINITY PANEL AT HEARING OF JOINT OIREACHTAS COMMITTEE

Speaking as a panel guest on the evening of Tuesday 2^nd February 2010 in the Exam Hall at Trinity College Dublin on the historic occasion of the sitting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution at Trinity College, Senator Ivana Bacik will discuss the findings of the Oireachtas Justice Committee's Report on Women's Participation in Politics, saying:

“I was appointed as the Rapporteur to the Sub-Committee, which reported in October 2009. I am honoured to be present on the panel discussion following the first sitting of a Joint Oireachtas Committee in Trinity College Dublin, and I am delighted to be able to discuss the findings of our Sub-Committee's Report here tonight. I am delighted that our Report achieved unanimous cross-Party support from all those on the Justice Committee. The key findings we made are that women's representation rates in Irish politics have got worse in recent years, and that Ireland now ranks at 84th place in the world tables of women's representation, with only 23 women out of 166 TDs (13.8%). Urgent action must be taken to change this.”

Speaking about the need for legislative reforms to ensure greater participation of women in politics, Senator Bacik referred to the Report's key recommendation that legislation should be introduced to require political parties to select a minimum proportion of women candidates to put before the electorate at local, national and European elections, saying:

“A package of measures is necessary to address the five key challenges that women face on attempting to enter politics: Lack of childcare; lack of cash; lack of confidence; a culture that does not accept women politicians easily; and candidate selection procedures that are often murky and that tend to favour men. We need legislation to require gender balance in the selection of election candidates; and we also need to take steps to change our political culture to make it more woman-friendly.”

ENDS