Vol. 475 No. 7
8 Dr. Woods asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will make special provisions to allow women who work full-time in the home and who wish to re-enter the workforce the opportunity to avail of social welfare options in their own right and without the current means test restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5722/97]
The issues involved in the provision of special arrangements to allow women who work full-time in the home have access to social welfare options in their own right and which have been the subject of a recent campaign organised by the National Women's Council and the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed are important ones and the Minister has already put in place a range of measures designed to provide more comprehensive information and advice to women in this regard.
These measures include an information leaflet entitled Signing on the Live Register which is available at all my Department's local offices. This leaflet gives information on the live register, details about unemployment payments and credited contributions and full details about employment schemes, training courses and educational opportunities and how to qualify for them; access to the services of my Department's locally-based job facilitators to inform and advise on the various options available; advice to spouses of unemployed persons in relation to their right to sign on the live register in instances where such spouses satisfy the conditions to do so; and advice about the options which are currently available under the Community Employment and Part-Time Job Opportunities programmes and which allow a person to participate in either of these schemes in place of her or his spouse.
The Partnership 2000 agreement recently negotiated provides that a working party including relevant Government Departments and the social partners will be established to examine the question of equal access by women to labour market opportunities including training, education and employment programmes.
Partnership 2000 recognises that women should not be penalised with regard to the availability of employment supports, including training and that they should have equal access to all labour market opportunities. The Minister will be consulting shortly with the various groups and I hope to have this working group set up as soon as possible.
Is the Minister for Social Welfare, Deputy De Rossa, prepared to set up a separate register for women working in the home who are ineligible for inclusion in the live register because of the means test? This will give them access to training and other opportunities.
I understand the Commission on the Family are concerned about these issues. Their report was due mid-year and it may provide some additional insights into the matter.
The Deputy's point is valid and relates to the qualification for various schemes which require that the person concerned is signing on the live register and is in receipt or entitled to a payment. This is an issue which has received some consideration in the Department. The denial of access to a wide range of schemes, training programmes and second chance educational opportunities is a major theme in the National Women's Council's campaign, "Breaking Down the Barriers — Women's Equality in the Labour Market." The campaign highlighted that access to these options depends largely on prior attachments to the live register or receipt of the one parent family payment.
FÁS is charged with managing, encouraging and fostering the provision of assistance in attaining employment and co-ordinating the provision of such assistance by others. It has a primary role in the area of job placement. While the concept of a civil right to register as unemployed is highly attractive, it also has to be balanced against the need to maximise the deployment of resources. It must be recognised that certain categories of people qualify in their own right if they are available for work. Some people are of the opinion that is not so.
Is the Minister aware that these women are looking for recognition? This does not require the Minister to wait for reports from various bodies, including the Commission on the Family, before taking action. It is a relatively simple matter to allocate a proportion of the placements to women working full-time in the home who want to get back into the workforce and to set up a separate register for them. Is the Government prepared to do this as the Minister agrees it is an urgent necessity?
There are ongoing discussions between the Department of Social Welfare and other relevant Government agencies to assess how best the points raised by Deputy Woods can be dealt with effectively. However, it is not as simple as deciding that a specific number can or will be included because there are varying degrees of entitlement and need. It is important to ensure that in the event of any changes taking place, they are soundly based and will be undertaken in the light of all the circumstances.
