'There are 21 women in the Dail, it was 22 when I was elected so it has kind of stuck.. we need more' FORMER PD GLAMOUR GIRL IN TV ROLE.

Byline: BY MAEVE QUIGLEY

SHE was once regarded as the most glamorous minister Ireland ever had.

But former Progressive Democrat deputy leader Liz O'Donnell believes the Dail still needs more women to break through the glass ceiling of politics.

She said: "Numbers haven't got any better since I was elected. And that's something that's really worrying.

"There are still only 21 women in the Dail and there were 22 when I was elected so it has kind of stuck.

"There has to be more - it would definitely change political discourse here."

Liz lost her seat in the last election but is back in the public eye as a presenter for Far Away Up Close which begins on RTE1 this Thursday at 10.45pm.

She visits the countries which are benefiting from Ireland's overseas development aid programme.

She added: "Because I know so much about the subject, it made it easier for me to be a broadcaster.

"When I was minister I was conscious that there should be a bigger sense of ownership among the Irish people.

"They should know what's going on because it's something to be proud of.

"We're the 10th richest country in the world now and we do all this work with the countries overseas.

"And we're sixth in the world in terms of our contribution to poor countries and I think people should know about that."

Despite her abilities, Liz's good looks were often the reason she enjoyed a high profile in the Dail. But it was a tag that annoyed her.

She said: "You wouldn't last two seconds in Leinster House on your looks. You have to be able to fight your corner and be taken seriously and I was.

"The women in the Dail are serious people and to get elected in the first place they've had to overcome obstacles.

"There is a tendency there to trivialise women politicians.

"I don't know how many times I won Best Dressed Woman's prize and I would think, 'What about that speech I made?'"

At 51 Liz admits she's surprised at how little she misses politics.

And even though it's just a year since she lost her seat she says she's not going to go down that road again.

Liz vowed: "I won't be running for elected office again. I had 15 years - probably my most important years in terms of vitality and energy. I didn't walk away from politics - I lost my seat. You just have to accept that and move on. And I'm young enough to do something else so I'm happy to draw a line under that.

"My mum had a stroke when I lost my seat and talk about taking your mind off your own worries.

"I was in Limerick for most of the summer looking after her and that put everything in perspective.

"But it's great that she has recovered fully and I see a lot more of her now.

"And I don't miss it - I always had a life outside politics. I didn't come from a political dynasty."

Married to barrister Michael Carson, they have two grown-up children and Liz said she doesn't want them to follow her into politics.

She said: "They show no interest so thankfully it stops with me." Liz spoke warmly of her working relationship with outgoing Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and her greatest moment was helping broker the Good Friday Agreement.

She recalled: "I worked very closely with him on the North and also on the Cabinet and I worked very well with him.

"I wish him well - I met him in the north last week at the 10th anniversary of the Agreement.

"And he's in better form I think because he feels that he's out of this awful spotlight and the endless scrutiny of him.

"He still maintains he did no wrong and I think it's up to the tribunal now to see."

And she also wished luck to the new PD leader Ciaran Cannon. Liz said: "He's a young man and he has the vitality for it. The biggest challenge is to build up confidence in the party and convince people that it's worth voting for."

But she's still not certain her next step will be into television presenting.

She said: "I would probably like to do a mix of activities that would cover my interests. It's hard to follow politics because it is a very meaningful life and I don't want to do something that's superficial."

But the things she saw on visits to Africa made her all the more determined that overseas aid from Ireland must continue.

She said: "The famine in Ethiopia was the worst thing I saw. There's no dignity in the death - seeing children dying for want of food is difficult.

"That's something which resonates with Irish people because it is only 170 years since our own famine.

"I think that's why Irish people identify so much with poor countries because we are so recently poor. In the 1950s we were as poor as anybody."

In the four-part series Liz revisits some of the people seen in previous programmes.

She said: "During the Liberian war they gave kids Kalashnikovs and put them into units and sent them off.

"Their lives were wrecked and they were completely psychologically damaged.

"I think 40 per cent of the soldiers in the war in Liberia were aged from seven up.

"We met a little boy James who Keelin Shanley interviewed four years ago for the programme just after the war.

"We thought it would be a good idea to go back and find him as the Don Bosco brothers run a rehabilitation programme for them.

"But unfortunately it wasn't a good story because when we caught up with him he was 15 and he wasn't optimistic.

"His mother had rejected him and he was damaged - because he had killed people.

"You can't expect children who kill people to turn around and become healthy, well-adjusted teenagers."

LIZ ON..

WOMEN IN THE DAIL

I don't know how many times I won Best Dressed Woman's prize and I would think, 'What about my speech?' Not to be pofaced it but it's a way of dismissing you.

LIFE AFTER POLITICS

I didn't walk away from politics - I lost my seat and you just have to accept that. My mum had a stroke at the time - talk about taking your mind off your own worries.

BERTIE AHERN

I wish him well - I met him at the 10th anniversary of the Good Friday agreement. He's in better form because he feels that he's out of this awful spotlight.

FIGHTING POVERTY

We're sixth in the world in our contribution to poor countries and I think people should know about that.

A NEW CAREER

It's hard to follow politics because it is a very meaningful life. I don't want to do something that's superficial. At least I have choice.

CIARAN CANNON

It's a big challenge for him but he's a young man and he has the vitality for it. The biggest challenge is to build confidence in the party and convince people it's worth voting for.

CAPTION(S):

A NEW LEAF Liz O'Donnell said she does not miss politics; HOW ARE YOU? Liz met up with James a former child soldier in the Liberian civil war; STITCH IN TIME The former minister visits factory worker to see how Irish aid is helping; FACT FINDER Liz with first liberian female police officers after the country's bloody war