The Children's Minister has called for women priests to be allowed in the Catholic Church.
It comes after Culture Minister Josepha Madigan stepped in at her local mass at the weekend when a priest did not arrive.
The Minister was due to give a reading but ended up saying most of the mass.
Her cabinet colleague Katherine Zappone says it is time for the Pope to properly consider female priests.
"Women should have leadership positions in any organisation," she said.
"For me, what is particularly important, although I am not a member of the Catholic Church anymore, is that if women were allowed to be priests and to become part of the leadership, the management, then they would also have a say in the beliefs and the doctrines that are presented by the Roman Catholic Church.
"Maybe then some of those doctrines might actually change."
Digital Desk
