I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 10 together.
In her speech of 26 September Minister of State Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn referred to the gap between de jure and de facto equality for women which exists in all Western countries, including those, like Ireland, whose equality legislation conforms to the highest standards of the United Nations and the European Community.
It is precisely because the Government recognise that there are also considerable attitudinal and cultural barriers to women being able to play a full role in society on the basis of equality or equal opportunity and our desire to see them eliminated that we decided to establish a second commission on the Status of Women. The members of the commission have recently been appointed.
The terms of reference of the commission are: (i) to review the implementation of the recommendations of the first Commission on the Status of Women as set out in that commission's report to the Minister for Finance in December 1972; (ii) to consider and make recommendations on the means, administrative and legislative, by which women will be able to participate on equal terms and conditions with men in economic, social, political and cultural life and, to this end, to consider the efficacy and feasibility of positive action measures; (iii) in the context of (ii) above, to pay special attention to the needs of women in the home; (iv) to establish the estimated costs of all recommendations made; and (v) to report to the Government within a period of 18 months from the date of its establishment. The commission, which has Miss Justice Mella Carroll as its distinguished Chairwoman, will hold their first meeting this week — in fact tomorrow.
The commission have a budget of £25,000 in this, their first year of operation, and will for their duration continue to be funded at a level sufficient for them to work efficiently and effectively.