8th December 2003
So, the shadows of Hanly has fallen North of the Border, a hospital candidate has been elected in Omagh. With only a three week campaign Dr. Kevin Deeny managed to collect more votes than long time Sinn Fein representative, Pat Doherty. Dr. Deeny topped the poll showing the depth of feeling there is everywhere to maintain local hospitals as they are.
There is such a vote available in every town in Ireland where, with or without Hanly, it is suggested that the local hospital should not have a 24 hour a day Accident and Emergency nor a maternity unit, and politicians know it well. Expect Hanly to melt away as did the Fitzgerald report in its time. Fianna Fail local deputies and senators seem to be available to join all the local demonstrations, which is a sure sign of how things are going.
I had more than a passing interest in the Northern Ireland elections. Firstly, I was a member of the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation under the Chairmanship of Judge Catherine McGuinness. Much work was put into getting the non-Unionist parties into a mood of co-operation at the Forum and this succeeded very well.
Secondly, I am an advisory member of the Centre for Advancement of Women in Politics at Queen's University. This part of the Department of Politics is devoted to encouraging participation by women in Northern Ireland political and public life. The Director is Dr. Yvonne Galligan from Dublin and, as it is an all island body, many others from the Republic are involved, too. I go up to meetings and seminars, not as often as I would like but enough to see the good work being done. As a founder member of the Women's Political Association here, I am a great believer in everyone becoming involved in the political process, not just men, and women, I hope, will be less party political in their thinking. With only 15 per cent of the Oireachtas being female one could say we have not been that great a success on our own patch without trying to spread the word further!
The third reason for my interest was that some years ago the University of Ulster bestowed me with the honorary degree of Doctor of Science for encouraging women in Northern Ireland to become involved in politics and public life and I feel I had better keep an eye on progress being made.
Well, the number of women running was moderate and the number of women elected was eighteen. This works out at eighteen and a half per cent which is better by a little than South of the Border, but let us break things down a bit further.
Four women were elected to the two Unionists parties - 2 out of 30 in the Democratic Unionist Party, that is 7 per cent and 2 out of 27 in the Ulster Unionist Party, 8 per cent give or take a decimal point or two. To my disappointment three are definitely, and the fourth probably, anti-agreement. My hopes that women would find cross community contact easier than men do, does not seem to be realised.
Both members of the Women's Coalition lost their seats even though all agreed their contribution to the last Assembly had been constructive and valuable. All six members of the Alliance seats were retained, meaning that Eileen Bell, so often a great mediator, survived and was joined by Naomi Long who stood for John Alderdice's old seat.
The other twelve seats taken by women were for the two Nationalist parties, five going to the SDLP and seven to Sinn Fein, (both nearly 30 per cent of seats). I know many of these women and respect greatly their courage in getting so involved in their communities.
Unionist women frequently said to me over the years that their lack of involvement in politics was due to the physical danger that went with the job. With more peaceful conditions I had hoped that their fears would have been allayed. I suppose it is much more than just going out to meetings and taking a prominent position because women doctors in Northern Ireland frequently are leaders. Politics there must be still considered dangerous business by many centre of the road people.
We should take note of the big success of the election. It is the vote for normal issues. It is Dr. Kevin Deeny. Not taking from his great personal success, he is the sort of candidate that appeals everywhere. Should candidates who represent the polarised communities in Northern Ireland be deterred from standing? Perhaps more doctors should stand for the upgrading of Health Centres so we can get a little more peace and normality there. Dr. Kevin Deeny has shown with the right platform one can get support from all sides of the community.
Senator Mary Henry, MD
