Vol. 432 No. 6
14 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment when he will provide incentives for employers to introduce increased flexibility in hours of employment for women; the nature and extent of the incentives, if any, that are envisaged; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I consider that the question of flexibility in hours of employment is a matter primarily for negotiation between employers and employees or their representatives.
I should mention, however, that the Second Commission on the Status of Women has made a number of recommendations on measures to increase flexibility in working life. The Deputy will be aware that I have set up a working group to advise and assist in implementing those recommendations which come within the responsibility of the Department of Enterprise and Employment. When I have received the report of the working group, I will be guided by their views as to how any recommendations on flexible working which come within the scope of the Department of Enterprise and Employment might best be implemented.
It is also relevant to mention that the question of re-organisation of working-time arrangements will be considered in the course of the review of work-sharing which is being commissioned by my Department arising from a commitment in the Programme for Government. It is envisaged that this review will be completed in the late autumn.
In view of the Government's endorsement of the second report of the Commission on the Status of Women — this is one of its recommendations — I am surprised at the Minister of State's response that it will be left to employers and employees to ensure flexibility in working hours. Does the Department intend to take any steps to encourage employers to provide for flexibility in working hours? What is the Minister of State's opinion of job-sharing? I welcome the fact that job-sharing has been introduced in the teaching profession in particular but I have received some complaints that the spirit of the recommendation may not be met, given that teachers may be asked to take one class before lunch and one in the afternoon which will not suit anybody. Does the Department intend to take any steps to ensure that the spirit of the recommendation is met within schools?
To respond to the Deputy's latter question I suggest that she direct it to the Minister for Education. I would not be acquainted with the minutiae of work-sharing schemes. However, I favour the idea put forward by the Deputy. The Deputy asked also when we will provide incentives for employers but this is a different matter entirely. In turn, I would like to ask the Deputy if she means financial incentives. This is not what the Commission on the Status of Women said. This Department was one of the first to take the commission's recommendations on board and to seek to bring forward a programme. I hope the working group will report in about one month. I can assure the Deputy and the House that when we receive that report we will attach great importance to it and seek to implement any measures which would be of help to women in employment and training.
Would the Minister of State accept that there is enormous untapped potential to facilitate women in the workplace by enabling them to combine their family and working roles and to provide additional employment given that positions will be freed? Can she inform us who is represented on the working group she has established and what timescale is involved?
The idea of job-sharing has enormous potential for both women and men. We have all come across cases where women and men would prefer to spend more time with their families and would like to see more flexibility in their working arrangements. This will happen in time. The committee which we have established is headed by a principal officer in the Department and consists of a small number of members, including the CED of Cork vocational education committee, a trade unionist, a prominent businesswomen and a member of the commission from FÁS.
