Women leading the way in Waterford constituency – Conway

Labour T.D. Ciara Conway is welcoming the development that women are outnumbering men on the ballot paper in the Waterford Constituency.

“I’m delighted to say that we seem to be ahead of the rest of the country at this juncture in terms of female representation on the ballot paper. Of the nine declared election candidates in the Waterford Constituency, five are women. It’s great to see how far we’ve come in a few short years. Last time around, I was the only woman on the ticket for Waterford and when I took the seat I was the first woman to represent the Déise in the Dáil since Bridget Redmond who died in 1952. Only 95 women have ever been elected to Dáil Eireann and I’m one of the three who has had the honour of representing Waterford as a T.D.”

“Heading into General Election 2016 it’s great to see some many strong female candidates on the ticket. It’s important that women put themselves forward and that women are strongly represented in public life – for too long this State has ignored or stifled the voices of women and that has certainly impacted on public policy.”

“Female role models are particularly important for young girls and hopefully this election will mark the beginning for a more balanced gender representation nationally. I wish all the candidates in the election race the very best of luck and would like to add how proud I am that Waterford is leading the way in terms of female representation on the ballot paper.”