One of the main challenges in the area of employment policy has been to increase overall participation in the labour force to maintain competitiveness in what is still a tight labour market. Government policy has responded to this need by encouraging, inter alia, female participation, which has increased from 42% 1997 to 50.1% in 2002.
An important component of the Government's strategy on reconciling work and family life and developing family-friendly policies has been the introduction of legislation such as the Parental Leave Act 1998, the Carer's Leave Act 2001 and the Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act 2001. This legislation, combined with increased maternity and adoptive leave entitlements and the development of child care services, will facilitate greater participation by women. The Government is also committed under the national development plan to meeting the diverse needs of parents and children, including key target groups, by supporting the development of accessible, high-quality child care services.
A number of agencies operating under the aegis of my Department are also adopting new initiatives designed to facilitate the increased participation of women in the workforce. The IDA has identified six of its existing business parks for the development of child care services, which will benefit both employers and employees and thereby enhance the attractiveness of the IDA parks to international investors. Gateway for Women is a FÁS initiative tailored to meet individual needs and focuses on addressing the concerns of women returnees, such as flexibility of training and accessibility of services. These measures are complemented by the development of child care services, which are the responsibility of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.