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Female politicians from various parties calling for a Yes vote in the same-sex marriage referendum. Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland

Number of women running in next election already exceeds 2011 levels

So far 89 women have confirmed candidacy – and we don’t even know when they election will be yet.

THE NUMBER OF confirmed candidates for the next general election – whenever that will be – already exceeds the total number of women who ran in 2011.

According to Women for Election, some 89 women have so far confirmed their candidacy. Director of Operations Suzanne Collins said the face of Irish politics “has the potential to be significantly transformed” in the next election.

As of now the 89 women intending to contest the upcoming election make up just over 30% of the currently declared candidates compared to just 15% in 2011. New gender quotas require the larger parters to meet the minimum level of 30% female candidates and Collins said that the number of women running is likely to increase once more independents emerge.

On current figures, of those women selected by the larger parties 87% are currently elected at either local or national level. If women who have previously run for local or national election are included in this group, it rises to 93%. So the women selected so far by the parties subject to the gender quota for selection are proven campaigners, vote getters and seat winners.

Women for Election is running a three-day residential political campaign school EQUIP from the 7-9 of September to train, mentor and support women to run winning campaigns. This will include advice from international experts on building a team, campaign strategy, media training, social media strategy, advice on how to read polls, pitch stories to local and national media, good campaign governance and fundraising.

Read: Did Fine Gael shaft women in Louth last night?>

Read: Just 5 of Fianna Fáil’s election hopefuls are female*>

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    Mute Paraic McDonagh
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    Oct 15th 2016, 8:19 AM

    If he gets elected, we’ll have to change the meaning of the acronym POTUS to mean Psychopathic Obnoxious Thick Ugly Sociopath.

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    Oct 15th 2016, 8:16 AM

    Ivanka is managing to point in 3 different directions in that image – nice.

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    Oct 15th 2016, 8:47 AM

    Bet Trump already pointed that out.

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    Oct 15th 2016, 11:29 AM

    Eric trump looks like such a slimeball

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    Mute Gerry Healy
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    Oct 15th 2016, 12:16 PM

    The emails being sent out with the salutation………… “Friend”, has all the creativity of the begging letters from Nigerian scammers.
    I actually despair if American people believe that a donation would actually result in their email being handed “personally” to Trump or that they would get to sit and have a coffee with him.

    It really beggars belief………..

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    Oct 15th 2016, 10:35 AM

    Ballocks were they checking emails they were playing candy crush

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    Oct 15th 2016, 3:12 PM

    ever their email are creepy… must run in the family

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