The Government have indicated in response to the NESC Report on Women's Participation in the Irish Labour Market that they will develop specific policies and mechanisms to improve child care for working parents. This report identifies three central policy issues relating to female labour force participation — taxation, social welfare and child care services. The NESC consider that there are strong arguments in favour of a national policy on child care for working parents and suggest that research should be undertaken to identify the priorities to be addressed when formulating such a policy.
In developing a national policy on child care the Government will also take into account such developments as the Report of the Working Party on Child Care for Working Parents which was set up to devise specific recommendations for the development of child care partnerships between parents, local employers and community groups — this group are due to complete their report by the end of May; the deliberations of the task force on employment which is to examine and make recommendations on the employment implications and potential of a national child care system; the Child Care Act, 1991 which provides for regulation and standards; the recent EC child care recommendation enjoins member states to encourage a combination of interests, including the public authorities, the social partners and voluntary bodies, to co-operate in the interests of developing and making widely available good quality, accessible, and affordable child care arrangements; and the report of the Second Commission on the Status of Women which is expected to be completed this summer.
In developing a child care policy, the Government will further encourage strategies on the part of training bodies and employers generally to facilitate the participation of married women in the labour force. Measures to promote labour market flexibility such as flexible working hours, job sharing and career breaks are being encouraged in order to provide a wider range of employment choices for women and men.