Scott supporting National Women’s Councillor Caucus

First National Women’s Councillors Caucus Meets 

Greystones Cathaoirleach Cllr Lourda Scott attended the first meeting of the Women’s National Caucus Network, which took place in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary on April 29th, and has welcomed this important step forward for local government and for women in politics at a national level.

The network, led by the Association of Irish Local Government and See Her Elected, is focused on supporting women not only to enter politics but to remain, progress and influence decision making. Women currently hold just over a quarter of council seats nationwide. This figure has seen little change in recent years despite commitments to improve gender balance and better reflect the population. Led by the Association of Irish Local Government (AILG) and SHE (See Her Elected), the national network aims to support women not just to enter politics, but to remain, progress, and influence decision-making. Women hold just over a quarter of council seats nationwide, a figure that has changed little in recent years despite repeated commitments to improve gender balance to better reflect the population structure. 

This development builds on work already underway in Wicklow, where Cllr Scott established the Wicklow Women’s Councillors Caucus following the 2019 Local Elections. The Wicklow caucus focused on practical supports including training, networking and strengthening cross party cooperation among women councillors.

Cllr Scott said the lack of representation remains a central issue:

“When I ran for election, I didn’t see enough women in local or national politics. That hasn’t changed as much as it should have. In Wicklow County Council only 9 out of 32 councillors are women. In Wicklow municipal district there is no female councillor elected. That does not reflect the communities we represent. This underrepresentation is more common in rural locations, and we need to see this change. If decision-making bodies don’t reflect the population, then we have to ask who is missing from those conversations and why that is.”

She said the caucus was an attempt to address structural barriers that continue to limit participation:

“We know the barriers are real, whether it’s the demands of the role, lack of support, or how political life is structured. The caucus was about creating practical supports and also showing that women can work together across party lines.”

Cllr Scott also pointed to the importance of visibility ahead for the next round of Local Elections:

“There’s still a huge gap between the number of women I meet everyday who are active in their communities and the number who put themselves forward for election. That needs to change. If women don’t see themselves represented, they’re less likely to run. If they don’t run, the system stays the same. In Wicklow, we have also seen a concerning trend where, since 2022, four women resigned their seats and were all replaced by men. During the same period, a male councillor elected to the Dáil was also replaced by a man. This lack of diversity is not acceptable. Greater diversity around the table leads to better decision making and benefits the whole community. Women are stepping up and working to address this, but political parties must also recognise this and take responsibility.”

Scott concluded, “I have been calling for an expansion for a national women’s caucus for many years now and I am delighted that AILG have taken the lead on this. I look forward to supporting this new venture and working with them over the coming years.”