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Workplace Participation.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 March 2004

Thursday, 11 March 2004

Questions (12)

Eamon Ryan

Question:

12 Mr. Eamon Ryan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the way in which the Government intends to meet the targets set out in the Lisbon agenda for increased female participation in the workplace; the current level of full-time and part-time female participation in the workplace here; the way in which this compares with the European average; and the expected increase in participation within the next five years. [8112/04]

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Written answers

In pursuit of the goal of full employment the European Council has set employment targets under the Lisbon agenda. These include a female employment rate of 57% by 2005 and 60% by 2010.

One of the main challenges in the area of employment is to increase the overall numbers of those at work, including women. The employment rate for women in Ireland has increased by 15% since 1994 and now stands at 56%. The EU average employment rate for women is 55.6%. The number of women in employment in Ireland is 764,100 of which 528,200, 69.1%, are in full time employment and 236,000, 30.9%, are in part-time employment. This gives a participation rate for women of 49.7%.

Measures are being implemented to encourage greater levels of female participation in the workforce including tax incentives, child income support, a greater commitment to flexible, family friendly working arrangements as well as child care provisions. It is expected that these measures will help to ensure greater female participation and enable the EU employment rate of 60% to be achieved by 2010.

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