Women TDs are better and more articulate than their male counterparts because they have to work so hard to get there, according to the Mayo Fianna Fáil TD, Ms Beverley Cooper Flynn.
"I have been involved in [political] conventions where 99 per cent, if not all, of those in attendance were men, and most of those didn't want to put a woman on the ticket, but I still got myself selected and elected," she said.
Addressing the Western Health Board's Women of the West third annual health forum in Westport, Ms Cooper Flynn also spoke about how she coped with stresses in life.
"Being such a public figure means that if I make a mistake, it's there for everybody to see, and I like that. It keeps me going," she said.
Ms Cooper Flynn was at the centre of controversy in the 1990s over allegations that she was involved in encouraging customers of National Irish Bank to evade their tax liabilities, allegations she strenuously denied.
Ms Cooper Flynn said she believed women in the home were not appreciated for the work they did. Organising a first birthday for her daughter recently was more stressful than anything she had experienced in her political life so far, she told 200 delegates.
"When I was asked to speak on this topic of stress management I thought, what experiences had I to share with people? But then I sat down and really thought about my life, which is something I rarely do, and when I did, I thought, my God, how do I get out of bed in the morning!"
Becoming a mother was a revelation to her, and being a mother was now part of the package people got when they met her.
"I travel to Dublin three days a week. Every Tuesday morning I load my baby into the car with me and bring her home again on Thursday. She is part and parcel of my life and she is always going to be with me. I am not saying I am superwoman, because I'm not. I have a nanny and I have fantastic support."
As a result of a recent health regime, she had lost over a stone in weight and never felt better.
Recalling her working life to date, Ms Cooper Flynn said: "I have had a hectic time in my life over the last few years. "
She also spoke of the stress when interest rates rose to 17 per cent and her salary in the month was less than her mortgage.
"You had to go out and get more money elsewhere or there simply wasn't food on the table. In that first house we had no carpet on the floor or even a table for the kitchen. I plumbed the bathroom myself. My husband at the time faxed me the instructions on how to do it and, believe me, it's not such a hard thing to do when you put your mind to it.
"If you think about stress it affects you in different ways, and all of us cope with stress in different ways. If we all reacted the same to stress it would be a great thing because we could all work towards the same solution.
"Stress is a loss of control, losing a sense of being in charge. Nobody escapes stress, and the consequences of it can be very serious for some. It can completely take over. Some people get excited by it and consider it a challenge in their lives. I am probably one of those. I work a little better under stress. It focuses my mind.
"I remember being on Questions and Answers for the first time and realising the programme was live," she added. "Nothing you said could be edited. At times like that in my life, I used to like to climb Croagh Patrick and absolutely roar the place down. If you haven't tried it, I recommend it."