The Single Transferable Vote and Women's Representation in Ireland

Abstract

This article employs a largely feminist-institutional framework to explore the effects of the single transferable vote (STV) on women's representation in Ireland. Considering the 2011 elections, the research finds a ‘mismatch’ between formal and informal factors in influencing female candidacy and seat-holding in Dáil Éireann and the Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly. While the workings of STV are mostly ‘women-friendly’, at least in comparison with a single-seat system, political parties well placed to win multiple constituency seats are slow to recruit female candidates in reasonable numbers. Conservative party norms, systems of party competition and voter preferences for incumbency all act to suppress the election of more women Teachtaí Dála and Members of the Legislative Assembly. The key to achieving a ‘critical mass’ across the island lies in reforming internal party selection processes to accommodate better equality between the sexes.

Keywords:

• proportional representation
• single transferable vote
• women's representation

Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the Irish Research Council. See http://www.irchss.ie. The author thanks the special issue editors, Fiona Buckley and Yvonne Galligan, Adrian Kavanagh, Matthew Wall, and an anonymous external reviewer for their comments on earlier drafts.

Notes

Ireland is the term used in this article to denote the geographical territory of the island, and encompasses both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. When there is reference to one jurisdiction, it will be specifically identified.

The Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Malta, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and Australia's federal upper house, the Senate, all currently employ some form of STV. STV is used for the election of New Zealand's district health boards. It is also used by six New Zealand territorial local authorities, including the Kaipara District Council and the Wellington and Dunedin city councils.

The Dáil's 166th member, the Ceann Comhairle (speaker of the Dáil), is automatically re-elected.

See Farrell (2011) for a more detailed description of the system's mechanical operation.

Cork South-West, Kildare South, Limerick and Roscommon-South Leitrim.