The upcoming General Election will see the largest ever number of women contesting for seats.
While a date for us to go to the polls has not yet been set, the Taoiseach Simon Harris over the weekend confirmed it will take place this year.
Minister Heather Humphreys is the latest to announce she’ll not be seeking to return.
But 165 others have so far either declared or have been selected by political parties. Seven are in the Carlow Kilkenny constituency, an increase of one here on the last GE where two were returned one of whom, Kathleen Funchion of Sinn Féin, has since been elected to the European Parliament while her FF Dáil colleague Jennifer Murnane O’Connor is bidding to hold onto her seat.
All of the Carlow based candidates this time around are female.
Just 23% of TDs at present are women, a total of 37 of the 160 TDs in the current Dáil.
Katie Deegan, communications co-ordinator with Womenforelection.ie has been updating KCLR News’ Michael Bergin;
