The Government is facing a fresh wave of criticism over the number of women appointed to senior positions - amid ongoing fallout from the response to Storm Éowyn.
Six of the 23 Ministers of State announced on Wednesday are women, in addition to three women among the 15 holding full Cabinet positions.
The Opposition immediately zeroed in on the matter following the appointments.
Social Democrats TD Jen Cummins said the Government had already established a “shameful record when it comes to giving women a seat at the top table”, while Labour’s Ged Nash said it seemed to be more concerned about geography rather than gender. Sinn Féin’s Louise O’Reilly accused the Government of doubling down on the underrepresenation of women.
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There was also criticism from civil society groups.
Aldagh McDonagh, chair of Women for Election, said. “It is very disappointing again to see that the Taoiseach and Tánaiste have not prioritised a gender balance among the Ministers of State appointed [this afternoon]. With just six women out of the 23 Ministers of State, there is a reduction in percentage terms from the last government”.
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A spokesman for Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the electorate returned seven female TDs for Fianna Fáil, four of whom are now Ministers.
He said that it was “a strong possibility” that more women would have been appointed as ministers if more women were elected, but denied that the Government was blaming voters for the relatively low number of women ministers.
A spokesman for Tánaiste Simon Harris said that Fine Gael had 10 women out of 38 TDs elected, and 40 per cent – four women – had been appointed Ministers.
There is considerable backlash within the Government parties – but particularly within Fianna Fáil – around the number of female appointments to the ranks of Minister of State.
One Fianna Fáil source said it was “embarrassing” to see the photograph of new Ministers of State lined up side-by-side, and that there was “disappointment” that party leader Micheál Martin had not appointed more women.
“He did the bare minimum,” the source said.
Fianna Fáil Meath West TD Aisling Dempsey said, however, that she felt the calls for strict gender balance had gone “too far”.
She said that women should be supported to progress up through the ranks at local level, and beyond, but that the onus should not be on Mr Martin to address gender criticisms in all of his appointments.
Elsewhere Fine Gael TD Colm Brophy was appointed Minister for State for Migration, a role that has been created by the incoming Coalition amid an expectation that the issue will remain contentious during the Government’s term.
Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman, minister for integration in the previous government, however, said that having the issue led by a junior minister is a “huge mistake”.
“A junior minister will never have the opportunity for the level of engagement with the Taoiseach that a senior minister will have,” he said, adding that if international protection (IP) was to be part of the brief, that would also be a mistake.
“It’s like they paid no attention to the last two years and if we are seeing the responsibility for IP accommodation drop down to a junior minister, that’s further evidence that they just still don’t get this issue.”
Meanwhile, as thousands of people around the country await the return of power or water supplies knocked out by Storm Éowyn, sources said a “robust discussion” took place on the matter at the first Cabinet meeting.
Galway West super junior minister Hildegarde Naughton is understood to have told the meeting that strategic hubs will be needed for future storm events, and that the State would need to build up extra generator capacity.
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