New Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has failed to emulate politicians he admires such as Emmanuel Macron and Justin Trudeau who have prioritised women at Cabinet level, women’s groups have said.
The French president named a gender-balanced cabinet last month, while the Canadian premier created Canada’s first cabinet with an equal number of men and women in 2015.
Orla O’Connor, director of the National Women’s Council of Ireland, said: “We’re disappointed he didn’t appoint more women. We hope when he’s appointing junior ministers he will redress the balance.”
However, she said her organisation welcomed Mr Varadkar’s expressed commitment to equality.
The Cabinet has four women, the same number as the outgoing Cabinet, which also had a female attorney-general.
Máire Whelan has been appointed to the Court of Appeal and Seamus Woulfe is the new Attorney-General.
Frances Fitzgerald remains on as Tánaiste but is now Minister for Enterprise and Innovation rather than Justice.
