Sir, – Further to Felix Larkin’s letter (May 24th), other important pieces of radical social change occurred during 1916 to 1923.
The Representation of the People Act 1918 is arguably the most important piece of social reform of the 20th century as it granted women the right to vote, albeit with age and property qualifications.
It also removed the property qualification for men, extending the franchise to the poorest 40 per cent of the male population.
A key motivator for this reform was the first World War, as it became politically and ethically impossible to deny votes to poor young men considering their sacrifice in the trenches, and to women, considering their hard work in the factories.
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To its credit, the Free State, on its foundation in 1922, removed all age and property limits on women, granting them equal suffrage with men.
The Representation of the People Act 1918 also introduced the proportional representation single transferable vote (PR-STV) system for the multiseat university constituencies in both Britain and Ireland. It was later used in the 1919 Sligo borough election, the 1920 local elections, and the 1921 Irish general election.
The Free State, on its foundation in 1922, mandated PR-STV for all elections.
The Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act 1918 allowed women to stand for and be elected to parliament, and Countess Markievicz was the first woman to be elected in 1918. She and five other women were elected in the 1921 Irish general election. Although, it has to be said, the number of women TDs remained in single digits for many decades. – Yours, etc,
JASON FITZHARRIS,
Swords,
Co Dublin.