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WITH FIANNA FAÍL struggling to ensure that a third of its general election candidates are female, the party may block some male hopefuls from contesting forthcoming selection conventions.
The issue has become particularly acute in Dublin where two male councillors, Cormac Devlin and Daithí de Róiste, could be prevented from contesting conventions in Dún Laoghaire and Dublin South Central respectively.
This is despite both councillors being considered in some quarters to have the support of the majority of members in each constituency.
Of the four main political parties, Fianna Fáil is the furthest behind when it comes to ensuring that 30 per cent of all its election candidates are female in order to avoid its state funding being halved.
Just under 23 per cent of the 44 candidates the party has picked so far are women.
Sources in both constituencies believe that women-only directives are likely to be issued by Fianna Fáil’s national constituencies committee (NCC) ahead of the conventions, which are likely to take place before the end of next month.
Officially the NCC has yet to make a decision in respect of either constituency and Fianna Fáil declined to comment when contacted yesterday.
In Dún Laoghaire, Devlin is the only male candidate likely to put his name forward at convention with councillors Mary Hanafin, Kate Feeney and Jennifer Cuffe also seeking the nomination.
The convention has been delayed several times having previously been expected to take place before the summer. It is now thought that it will be held in the second half of September.
Internal polling indicates Fianna Fáil can only take a Dáil seat if it runs one candidate in Dún Laoghaire (a four-seater that will effectively be a three-seater if Ceann Comhairle Seán Barret does not retire) presenting a particular difficulty if Devlin were to take the nomination in an open convention.
Local sources believe party headquarters may issue a direction to the 200 or so active members in the constituency to select a female candidate, preventing Devlin from running.
But TheJournal.ie has learned that if this were to happen the Dún Laoghaire-based councillor would consider possible legal action against the party.
“If they try and say that only a woman can be selected, or indeed if they said only a man could be selected, that may not be legally possible, that could be challenged,” a source said.
Meanwhile, in Dublin South-Central, Ballyfermot-based De Róiste is considered the favourite among the 100 or so members in the constituency.
However, party headquarters is believed to favour the selection of Crumlin-based Catherine Ardagh, the daughter of former TD Seán Ardagh.
Amid suggestions that Fianna Fáil may forgo a convention altogether, a constituency source said they expected one will take place but that only one candidate – Ardagh – would be allowed to put their name forward.
De Róiste is not expected to mount any legal challenge if such a decision were made.
Earlier this year, the Markievicz Commission, which was set up to examine ways to increase Fianna Fáil’s number of female candidates, said that some constituency branches should be issued with directions to select a woman at conventions.
Speaking at the launch of the commission’s report, party leader Micheál Martin said that the gender quotas law would mean some difficult decisions would have to be taken.
“It will mean hard decisions, tough decisions, very difficult decisions, but that is the nature of political leadership: it’s the nature of politics,” he said at the time.
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TXFM sounds likes a country music station.
I hope not
Who wants to listen to songs about the wife leaving and the dog dying
Exactly, sounds like they will play tex-mex all the time !
there is a country radio station in the states with that name
As if anyone is actually going to start calling it TXFM…what a shite name.
Very sorry for the genuinely good presenters who are being made redundant. But going for a ‘fun’ breakfast show was when the alarm bells started ringing. RIP Phantom.
Totally agree BB. That breakfast show dragged the rest of the station under. I feel sorry for Charlotte – she had a lot to put up with. Once Sinister Pete was ousted, things started to slip out of their grasp. It was like the first few rocks falling at the beginning of a landslide – you think “ah ’twill be grand” but it’s already too late to get out of the way.
I really hope they don’t muck it up more.
PS: The TX is industry shorthand for “transmission”, though it reminds me of the old pirate days when they used to buy in whole branding and audio station ID packages from the states and just cut the “K” or “W” off the top of the name!
I’ve been a listener to Phantom for a good few years but have to agree about the breakfast show, that guy is so unfunny that my toes curl for him, used to love it when Michelle Doherty was on in the morning.
Not a great start is it? Phantom is a far better name. Hopefully they won’t start dishing out the more commercial side of the scene and the music doesn’t suffer. There’s only so much kings of Leon and snow patrol I can listen to without wanting to drive into a wall!
Haha or kill the crack ‘Killers’
When PhantomFM went “legal” and a certain media mogul ( who owns way too many radio stations and other media outlets) got involved , that was the beginning of the end for PhantomFM and REAL music
Irish radio stations (wit few progressive exceptions) have missed a huge opportunity to go digital. Phantom should have been the first to go do it but now have been left behind.
Phantom to TXFM to 2FM to silence
I think you have a few too many steps there. I think it’s more Phantom to TXFM to silence. How can they have a radio station with only 3 djs, one of whom is pants, one is so-so and the other one decent? The new schedule is gona look very strange. I’d say just get a Spotify account or something similar. At least then you won’t have to listen to ads.
I have one, much better than the radio, newstalk or sunshine in the car, spotify at home
Who are the surviving DJs?
Spotify account? How does that work in the car then? That solves nothing when driving, without a bunch of messing about with wires for 10mins before you even turn on the engine. For the car, you need a radio with a couple good stations to flick through. Done. No need for all this overreaction.
^ phone bluetooth…no wires.
Try changing a song on a phone while driving without looking at it and taking your mind off the road. Then compare that to a simple button on the steering wheel, already in your line of sight. No debate needed. Plus with Spotify, your counting on your 3G all the time. The whole process is unnecessary when compared to changing a channel.
You try 8tracks Anto? Choose play list and it’ll keep going. I find it handier than Spotify tbh.
Just looked up 8tracks there, looks interesting. May be better than Spotify, but the fundamentals of the rigmarole before driving are the same. I’d probably listen to 8tracks in the house though.
@anto. connect an ipod to the car radio, set up a few playlists. I hate wires all over the car myself, and agree it is much safer changing a radio station than looking though a phone. Ipod is handy
Anto just get a BMW with Idrive?
Ok. Thanks. Can I borrow a few quid off you? I promise I’ll pay you back…..
You don’t need 3G when using your Spotify. There is a listen offline option when you’re browsing music, saved to your phone then. Any car can get a complete Bluetooth system installed to listen to all your music on your phone via your car radio, roughly 150 euro.
€150? BMW’s? Spotify subscriptions? Just listen to the radio, it’s free! If something bad comes on, change the channel! The amount of overreacting going on here is unbelievable. You people need a smack of reality in the face.
But radio is shite.
I guess some people would rather pay a few quid to be able to listen to something they like when driving rather than flicking through stations and listening to what a DJ is playing. Whos right? whos wrong? do what you want. Thats the reality.
Anto I said I listen to newstalk or sunshine in the car, spotify in the house and shed.
Works for us – still not sure about Spotify but use in car all the time no inane chatter or endless ads!
Been a listener since 2007, don’t like new name. Xfm is an already well known brand, txfm sounds like someone trying to copy it.
One of the best stations in the country!
It was at one point. The changes they made sent it down the tubes.
RnaG is better
My favourite station keeps me company every morning on my commute, will miss the guys…dunno if I’ll keep listening, will have to wait n see…
Terrible news for old Phantom listeners- the re brand/ realignment with Today FM will mean that middle of the road, drivel merchants like the proven to be ratings toxic, Joe Donnelly will be protected so that he can carry on at the expense of talented, knowledgeable people – e.g the Richie Ryan, Wil St Ledger, Derek Byrne, Cathal Funge, Richie Mc Cormack & Nadine O Regan etc
A Sad day.
RIP Phantom
Hehe
Should have stayed a pirate station. Only play good music out of the core hours otherwise its the rubbish they are paid yo play. The problem is chasing the dollar … Now there is nothing to distinguish them from any other station
I personally loved the morning show
It’s no wonder Keith Walsh jumped ship, he knew himself he’d be the first for the dole queue !
He’s one of the main reasons people started switching off from the breakfast show. I’ve heard a bit of him on 2FM since and along with Bernard O’Shea and Jennifer Maguire they are excruciating
Is Communicorp the kiss of death to cool?
Sounds like the baddy in a Sci-fi movie
Stop the moaning, at least we’ll still have a Indie Rock station in Dublin. Music fans need to support this or we will be left with nothing good on the airwaves.
Sounds countryish “TeXas FM”
Who uses words like ‘indie’ and ‘alternative’ these days? Very 1990s. Whole enterprise sounds dated to me. Do they not listen to BBC 6 Music? Who just listens to indie music? Peoplejust want to hear great music by people who know their music.
So how would you categorise it? It does need a particular word to describe it to differentiate itself from typical chart music
As someone who bought probably 70% of his albums in the 90′s I shall persist with this terminology thank you very much.
So Joe is one of those to keep his job. There are no words. I could weep.
TodayXM sounds better than TXFM
XM is associated with digital radio rather than FM. Hence RTE 2XM for example, which is not on FM.
Trying to appeal to a broader listenership is what has ruined Phantom in the first place.
The surviving DJ’s as far as I’m aware are Joe from Phantom Breakfast, John Cadell & Clare Beck. Sad sad news. I agree the breakfast show hasn’t been the same since “Pure Morning”.
TextFm
Crap name, exactly right it sounds like a country music name.
It was great to start off with with Sinister Pete in the mornings but slowly but surely it got worse and worse and worse again.
Well done to all the bosses involved for running a great station into the ground. I hope someone comes up with a new one soon. Rip phantom. It was fantastic until you started acting the b*lix.
The surviving DJ’s as far as I’m aware are Joe from Phantom Breakfast, John Cadell & Clare Beck. Sad sad news. I agree the breakfast show hadn’t been the same since “Pure Morning”.
John Cadell is great. I’ll miss the two Richies though – they’re great also.
The name makes me want to spark up the BBQ
No finest work songs, no doherty, no listening for me. The station is indeed now a Phantom. Game Over.
RIP Phantom!
Well it’s a stupid name but it makes commercial since to link it to Today FM for brand power, and at least they didn’t just copy-and-paste one of Communicorp’s recently acquired conveyor-belt foreign brands like XFM, which was apparently one of the options.
Come to think of it, TodayFM sounded ridiculous when I first heard the name, but we’ve gotten used to it.
Dave couse Sunday night today fm.
:( Devastating. I really hope the music doesn’t suffer but to loose so many great DJs has got to have a negative effect on the output. A self-proclaimed alternative station wanting to align itself with it’s mainstream counterpart and retain it’s alternative integrity at the same time?! How does that make any sense..!
“He added that he believes that the indie-music fan base in Dublin will welcome this latest development”
#deluded
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