Written Answers. - Women in the Home.
Seán Haughey
Question:
392
Mr. Haughey
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
the measures he has taken to improve the position of the married woman working full-time in the home rearing children; his intentions in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[18087/00]
My Department allocated a grant of £5,000 this year to the organisation "Women in the Home" for development activities and, in addition, provided funding towards the attendance of a representative of that organisation at the UN General Assembly Special Session – Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the 21st Century (Beijing + 5). "Women in the Home" aims to provide support and a forum for women working in the home through which they can have a voice and influence society.
The role of my Department in relation to child care relates to services provided by third parties to parents for the care of their children. Child care services are availed of not only by women who are participating in the labour force; the findings of a survey conducted in 1998 by the ESRI on behalf of the Commission on the Family indicate that one in five households with children aged four years or less use the services of a crèche-nursery and that in almost half of these households the mother worked full-time in the home, suggesting a wish for the children to participate in pre-school services. My Department has been supporting the development of child care service provision since 1994 from a social inclusion and equal opportunities perspective. Many of the projects supported provide low cost child care services to women in disadvantaged areas who wish to take up employment, training or education opportunities. The National Development Plan 2000-06 provides £250 million to my Department to invest in the development of child care service provision under a range of support measures.
The Employment Equality Act, 1998, prohibits discrimination in relation to employment, including access to employment, on nine grounds, namely, gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, religious belief, age, disability, race and membership of the Traveller community. The Act should facilitate women who wish to give up their employment to care for their children full time in the home and who, at a later stage, wish to return to paid employment. In particular, the prohibition of discrimination on grounds of age will ensure that such women will have the option of re-entering the labour force once they have reared their children. In addition, funding provided in the national development plan for my Department for positive action for women includes an element for assistance for women returning to the labour force after long absences rearing their children. These initiatives are complemented by work being done by my colleagues, the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs. The Minister for Finance has introduced the home carers' allowance, which is a new tax allowance of up to £3,000 per annum at the standard rate of income tax. This may be claimed by married couples, who are jointly assessed and where one spouse, the "home carer" cares for one or more dependent persons which includes children, the aged or incapacitated persons. The Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs has ordered a review of the arrangements already in place under the homemakers scheme. This review will be undertaken by his Department as part of the ongoing review of eligibility conditions for contributory pensions.
The Parental Leave Act, 1998, provides an individual and non-transferrable entitlement to both parents to 14 weeks unpaid leave from work to take care of young children. The leave must be taken before the child reaches five years of age, except in certain circumstances in the case of an adopted child. This legislation will facilitate both parents to dedicate a short period to the full time care of young children.
The Equal Status Act, 2000, provides protection against both direct and indirect discrimination outside the field of employment. Married women in the home can benefit from this legislation. The Act deals with discrimination on the same nine grounds already mentioned in relation to the employment equality legislation. The Act covers provision of goods and services, disposal of premises and accommodation, education and registered clubs. The Act applies to goods and services which are available to the public, whether on payment or not, and irrespective of whether provided by the public sector or private sector. It is my intention to bring the Act into operation in the coming months.
The Equal Status Act, 2000 provides protection to married women in the home on several of the specified grounds of discrimination, namely, the gender ground; the marital status ground; and the family status ground.
As regards the family status ground, the Act defines this status as being pregnant or having responsibility for a person under 18 years, or as the parent or the resident primary carer of a person with a disability although over that age, where the disability is of such a nature that the person requires care or support on a continuing, regular or frequent basis.
