The 5050 Group in the North West sent out a series of questions relating to women’s equal representation to the 2016 General Election Candidates in Donegal and Sligo-Leitrim.
Below are the questions with the candidate responses.
| Donegal 2016 General Election Candidate: Thomas Pringle, Independent
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| QUESTIONS:
Do you support the 5050 Campaign for equal representation of women and men in Irish Politics?
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RESPONSES:
YES |
| Please Explain Why
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I believe in a fair and equal society which can only be achieved with gender equality in all spheres of Irish life including politics.
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| Are you in favour of introducing gender quotas for the 2019 local elections?
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YES |
| Please Explain Why
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We need gender quotas to allow more modern and alternative politics in our currently outdated Parliament. The political institution is designed to make it difficult for voices from minority groups including women (as they are under represented in politics) to be represented in the Dáil and quotas try to address this.
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| Would you support an’ A Rural Strategy’ to encourage more women to run for the local elections both as independents and party candidates?
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YES |
| Would you support more women to take up leadership positions within your party, such as chairs and national executive members?
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NA |
| What actions will you take within your party or as an Independent to encourage and support increased female participation in politics?
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As an Independent I do not have a formal structure like other parties and so do not have the same opportunities as them, however almost all my office staff are female and I fully support them aiming a work/life/family balance. Many people who work on my campaign are women and I see their input as being vital to a successful campaign.
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| Would you support actions to make the Dáil more ‘family friendly’ by addressing the working hours, formalising maternity leave and considering other arrangements such as proxy voting and teleconferencing?
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YES |
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Please Explain Why |
I believe a more family-friendly environment in the Dáil would also be beneficial to fathers and parents of all kinds as I myself am a father, commuting to and from Donegal to Dublin is a big task and often times Dáil time is misspent by Government for example with imposed Guillotines of Bills without debate. Reforming the Dáil agenda to make use of the time for a more in-depth debate and legislative scrutiny will in turn make it a more family-friendly place as a result, as democracy is strengthened.
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