asked the Minister for Finance what stage has been reached by the Commission on the Status of Women; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Status of Women.
89.
I have asked the commission to give priority to the question of equal pay and to let me have an interim report on this subject. The commission have acceded to my request and are at present seeing the various interested parties who have made submissions. They hope to produce a report on the subject of equal pay by the middle of 1971.
Are we to take it that the Minister is recommending equal pay for women?
That is not quite what I said. I said I had asked the commission to treat as an urgent matter— indeed, as a first matter for consideration—the question of equal pay for women; that the commission has agreed to do this and is in the process of seeing the people who made the submissions; that the commission hopes to provide a report on that aspect of their work by the middle of next year. Obviously, the question of implementation of such a policy is what they are considering—the various aspects of implementation. Until we get that report, we cannot go any further on that aspect.
If you have not asked them to consider equal pay, I take it you have asked them not to give equal pay.
I do not follow the Deputy's argument.
If you have not asked them to consider equal pay for women——
We have. We have asked them to consider that as their first priority.