A judgment is due today on a High Court challenge taken by a member of Fianna Fáil against the gender quota legislation.
Brian Mohan believes the requirement for party’s to run a certain amount of female candidates in the general election is unconstitutional.
If at least 30pc of a party’s candidates for the upcoming general election aren’t women, then the party stands to lose half of its State funding.
In Fianna Fáil’s case, that could be as much as half a million euro a year.
Last October, Brian Mohan was one of three people nominated to contest their selection convention for Dublin Central, but a directed issued the month before effectively ended his chances.
Members were instructed to pick just one candidate, and they were told it had to be a woman.
Mr. Mohan claims the law that gives legal effect to the gender quota is unconstitutional and that the Oireachtas acted outside its powers by using State funding to influence an election.
He’s due to find out later this morning if his challenge has been successful.
