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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 21 Mar 2001

Vol. 533 No. 1

Written Answers. - Family Friendly Work Practices.

John Perry

Question:

70 Mr. Perry asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the measures she has put in place to help businesses and organisations to modify work programmes to implement family friendly policies where there are potential workers, particularly women, who would be happy to work for three or four hours per morning on three to five mornings per week; her views on whether family friendly policies, if implemented correctly, would help alleviate the current labour market shortages and also help meet the needs of employees with family responsibilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8334/01]

As stated in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, the development of appropriate measures to assist in reconciling work and family life is important to underpinning economic, social and equality objectives. The challenge is to establish family friendly policies that reflect the reality of the workplace and meet the many diverse needs of employees. Family friendly working arrangements are in the interests of employers, and employees because they contribute to the needs of the business as well as meeting the needs of employees with family responsibilities.

For employers the benefits include: retention of skilled staff; reduced absenteeism; improved productivity; a more highly motivated workforce and also assist employers in being seen as an employer of choice. These are all very important factors for employers in the current tight labour market. Employees on the other hand benefit through having greater opportunities to better balance their working and family lives; greater equality of opportunity between men and women; and a fairer sharing of family responsibilities between men and women. A partnership approach in the workplace is the best way in which this issue should be addressed, in order to achieve tailor-made solutions to the benefit of the workforce and the employer.

In order to support and facilitate family friendly policies in the workplace, the national framework committee for the development of family friendly policies at the level of the enterprise was established under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. The committee comprises representatives of the ICTU, IBEC, public sector employers, the Equality Authority, a num ber of Government Departments, and is chaired by my Department.
The national framework committee has already undertaken a number of initiatives to raise awareness and provide information. The first Family Friendly Workplace Day, supported by the ICTU, IBEC and the Equality Authority, was held on 1 March. My colleague, the Tánaiste, Deputy Harney, launched a new interactive website, www.familyfriendly.ie, and an information brochure entitled, An Introduction to Family Friendly Working Arrangements, on behalf of the national framework committee to coincide with Family Friendly Workplace Day.
As part of the information and awareness campaign being undertaken by the committee, a series of follow-on actions are planned. There is a programme of four regional seminars scheduled from April to June in Dundalk, Galway, Waterford and Cork. It is hoped that Family Friendly Workplace Day and the regional seminars will be the springboard for a range of new initiatives at enterprise level.
There are, of course, various family friendly statutory entitlements, including maternity leave, adoptive leave and parental leave. I am piloting two important Bills through the Oireachtas, the Carer's Leave Bill, 2000 and the Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Bill, 2000. In addition, my colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy O'Donoghue, has announced a review of the Parental Leave Act, 1998.
The work of the national framework committee, allied to a partnership approach in the workplace between employers, employees and trade unions and appropriate legislative measures, should achieve the goal of making workplaces family friendly. The work of the national framework committee has got off to a good start and, with the support of the social partners and the Equality Authority, I am confident that further progress will be achieved.
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