Madam, - It is infuriating, but not surprising, that the Irish parliamentary delegation to the Council of Europe is made up solely of men.
It is infuriating, but not surprising, to read and hear the patronising response of TDs such as Noel Davern, who feels membership of the delegation would be more difficult for a woman, what with having to attend meetings with strangers in strange cities. The excuses given for the lack of women on parliamentary delegations have their roots in the pathetic proportion of women TDs and Senators in all the parties except for Labour and the PDs.
Overall, about 13 per cent of TDs are women, with the party breakdown being as follows: Fianna Fáil, 8.6 per cent (seven women out of 81); Fine Gael, 6.4 per cent (two women out of 31); Labour, 33.3 per cent (seven women out of 21); PDs, 50 per cent (four women out of 8); Greens, Sinn Féin, and Socialist Party 0 per cent (out of six, five and one respectively; Independents, 14.2 per cent (two women out of 14). Of course this means there is great pressure on the few women elected to provide gender-balanced delegations and committee membership.
It is encouraging to see that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe stood by its procedures and removed the right to vote from the non-compliant member-states until they regularise their delegations.
This should be a wake-up call for the political parties to stop blaming women for not engaging with a dysfunctional political system, but instead to take the urgent action on the reforms required in both local government and the Oireachtas. So much work has been done on this, but the lobby groups, including women within the political parties, have largely gone unheard.
It is time to take the reports off the shelves and implement their recommendations. - Yours, etc.,
MARY FLYNN, Labour Party Women's International Officer, Ely Place, Dublin 2.
Madam, - Last Thursday your paper reported on the suspension of Ireland's voting rights in the Council of Europe caused by the lack of a single female representative on the Irish delegation.
In explaining this embarrassing situation, the Fine Gael TD Jim O'Keeffe comments: "The notion of going off on your own to these meetings [Council of Europe assemblies] for a woman would be quite unattractive".
I am fascinated by Mr O'Keeffe's view of what would and would not be attractive to a woman. Perhaps he can explain how I and my fellow female colleagues manage to survive and thrive in the modern international business environment.
I am currently completing an assignment with the World Bank in South-East Asia and travel regularly on my own for projects. I find this aspect of my work invaluable in terms of challenging the views and perspectives I take for granted, and a great opportunity to learn from other educational and socio-economic backgrounds.
The Fine Gael website proudly announces that the party will lead the way in the equality arena by "encouraging women to seek and hold public office" and "empowering women to take charge of their own destiny". It would appear that aspiration excludes cases where men know better what would be "attractive" and appropriate for women.
Mr O'Keeffe's comments are a prime example of the patronising and chauvinistic attitude which discourages intelligent and ambitious women like myself from investing our abilities and energy in politics. - Yours, etc.,
SANDRA COUGHLAN, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Madam, - Aisling Kelly (January 31st) may find the Council of Europe imposing "some sort of gender quota system on member states to be patronising in the extreme"; but it is at least refreshing to see that the council means what it says on the issue, unlike our present Government which has failed to meet its own targets on gender balance in State boards. - Yours, etc.,
BRIAN GILLEN, (Fine Gael Local Elections Candidate), Northbrook Walk, Ranelagh, Dublin 6.