FIANNA FÁIL SENATOR Averil Power said she received a rape threat as a result of her support for a Seanad motion recognising the state of Palestine last year.

Power spoke to TheJournal.ie yesterday about how she had been called a Nazi and anti-Semite for her support of the Palestinian people. She insisted the issue has nothing to do with religion for her, describing it as a “land grab” pure and simple.

Watch Power discuss the threat she received and how she dealt with it:

The leadership question

Elsewhere in the course of her wide-ranging interview with TheJournal.ie yesterday, Power talked about the leadership of Micheál Martin.

Power admitted Leinster House can be a bit of  a ”a men’s locker room” at times, and said ensuring more women are on the ballot paper will require “leadership”.

So, what does she make of Fianna Fáil’s current leader?

Camera: Nicky Ryan/TheJournal.ie

Fianna Fáil is hoping to have up to 27 female candidates in the next general election. All parties are required to have at least 30% women on the ballot paper or else face losing half of their exchequer funding.

The party currently has no female TDs and Power has put her name forward for selection in the new constituency Dublin Bay North. She will face stiff competition from former junior minister Sean Haughey (son of Charlie) and Councillor Deirdre Heney.

Power said that quotas are “a last resort” but necessary to increase the level of female representation in the Dáil above the current 16% – the highest level it has ever been.

Originally published: 10.30am

More: ‘If my daughter was raped there’s no question I’d force her to carry a child’ 

Read: Another failed Fianna Fáil candidate had a big go at Micheál Martin tonight