Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 April 2021
496. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the commitment in the Programme for Government to increase funding to political parties to support youth, gender and diversity programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22129/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe commitment in the Programme for Government: Our Shared Future to increase funding to political parties to support youth, gender and diversity programmes is part of an ambitious programme of work to be progressed by the relevant Government Departments.
My Department, in recognition of the need to promote gender equality in local government, introduced a funding scheme in March 2019 to incentivise political parties to increase the number of women candidates in the 2019 local elections. The scheme was open to all political parties on the Register of Political Parties on an opt-in basis. The funding is in the form of an annual grant to political parties, based on their performance in fielding women candidates in the 2019 local elections. This funding is to be used by the parties specifically for the purposes of promoting gender balance and diversity among the party’s candidates and elected representatives. Examples of such activities could include the training of women candidates, the recruitment of diversity officers whose role would be to build the diversity of party membership and future local election candidates, active engagement with immigrant, traveller or disability groups, etc.
Since the introduction of the scheme in 2019, nine political parties have applied for funding. The scheme is ongoing and consideration is now being given to how it can be improved to maximise impact ahead of the 2024 local elections. Engagement with stakeholders is ongoing and a new scheme is likely to be announced in May 2021.
Part III of the Electoral Act 1997 also provides for the making of payments out of the Central Fund by the Minister for Finance with the approval of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to qualified parties. Funding received by qualified parties can be used for the promotion of participation by women and young persons in political activity.
A qualified party means a political party that is registered in the Register of Political Parties and whose candidates at the last preceding general election obtained not less than 2% of the total first preference votes obtained by all candidates at that election.
Each qualified party is paid annually: a flat rate amount of €126,974 and a share of an annual sum, which in 2019 stood at some €4,948,200. The share of the fund payable to a qualified political party is determined by expressing the first preference votes of the qualified party as a percentage of the total first preference votes received by all qualified political parties. The fund is linked to general pay in the civil service.
