AT a recent plenary meeting, Councillor Niamh Kennedy called on the Minister for Education to explore the introduction of Politics and Society as a Leaving Certificate subject in Donegal’s secondary schools.
The motion, seconded by Councillor Joy Beard, aims to address the gender imbalance in local politics and inspire more young women to run for election.
Currently, Donegal County Council has just three female councillors, making it one of the worst local authorities in the country for female representation.
“In 2024, 91 people ran for the local election, only 19 of those were women and only 3 got elected. This is a similar trend in the county for the last 125 years,” said Cllr Kennedy, calling the situation “abysmal.”
In early November, a group of teenage girls including president of Donegal Youth Council, Cassie Lamb, took part in a workshop where they learned about local government and the role of councillors.
Cllr Kennedy, along with Cllrs Beard and Dakota Nic Mheanman, shared their experiences and discussed the importance of gender balance in politics.
“Listening to Cassie Lamb and others, it was clear that while females represent 50 per cent of our population, many didn’t imagine they could run for election or simply hadn’t thought about it,” said Cllr Kennedy.
“A lot of schools in Donegal don’t offer Politics and Society, leaving students at a disadvantage.”
Cllr Joy Beard said she believes politics and society is one of the most important subjects that we can offer our young people.
“It equips students with understanding on how decisions are made, how the government works and how they can influence change.
“If we want more young people involved in democracy – particularly young women and underrepresented groups – then access to this subject is essential.
“As we see, female representation is far too low. Women bring a different perspective and a lived experience to politics and we have a different approach in problem-solving as well.
“We need more of that. Encouraging our young people to see themselves as future councillors, TDs, ministers or even a future President or any leadership position, starts in the school system,” said Cllr Beard.
Donegal County Council carried the motion and confirmed they would write to the Minister for Education.
