A FIANNA FÁIL member is taking legal action over gender quotas after being prevented from contesting his constituency’s selection convention.

Local area representative Brian Mohan missed out on winning the party’s nomination in Dublin Central after members were instructed to choose only one female general election candidate.

Mohan told reporters at the time that he was “deeply disappointed” with the woman-only order, which he said was issued “without any serious thought into the long-term plan that we as members of Dublin Central have”.

The directive meant former councillor Mary Fitzpatrick, who ran in the European elections in Dublin last year, was selected unopposed at a convention last month.

Funding cuts

Gender quota legislation introduced in 2012 requires parties to ensure that 30% of their general election candidates are female, with parties that fail to reach the quota losing half of their state funding.

In a statement, Mohan said he had initiated High Court proceedings challenging the constitutionality of the bill, rather than Fianna Fáil.

He will be represented in court by former Progressive Democrats leader Michael McDowell, SC.

Read: Women only: Fianna Fáil issues a controversial order to Dublin members

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