asked the Taoiseach if he will request the Government to reconsider their decision to abolish the Ministry of Women's Affairs; his views on programmes aimed at increasing opportunities for women; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Women's Affairs.
1.
As I indicated in this House on 7 April of this year, the achievement of equal status and equal opportunities for women are matters which arise across the whole range of policy making. Responsibility for different aspects of women's affairs is, therefore, best realised by individual Ministers being responsible within their own policy areas for making progress on women's opportunities and status.
I am not satisfied with that reply from the Taoiseach. If what he has said about individual Ministers being responsible for various programmes means the abolition of programmes, as has happened in the case of the women in business programme which the Minister for Industry abolished when he went to launch one of the successes of that programme, how can the Taoiseach accept what he has said as being positive given that the allocation to the Council for the Status of Women has been cut by £50,000 or 36 per cent, which, I assume, means that the Government want to wind up that body? If the Taoiseach has other plans for that body perhaps he will so inform the House. The allocation to the Employment Equality Agency has been reduced by £37,000, a cut of 11 per cent, and the anti-poverty programme in the Department of Social Welfare has been cut by £300,000, a 23 per cent cut. How can the Taoiseach come into the House and inform us that each Minister is responsible for initiating programmes——
This is a very long question.
It is a very serious matter. In effect the Government are cutting back on every programme that has been achieved. I ask the Taoiseach, as a matter of urgency, to re-appoint a Minister with responsibility for women's affairs.
On the question of the allocations to different bodies, the former Tánaiste would have to acknowledge that the Government have sought to be impartial and objective and have made reductions right across the board. They have endeavoured not to let the burden fall too heavily on any one area or to show any favouritism in any area. There is room for honest disagreement on the question of how best to handle the whole question of women's affairs and to advance the status of and opportunities for women. This is my idea of how it should be done, with each individual Minister having a special responsibility for these matters. I have always been of the opinion that the most important issue so far as the status of women is concerned is women's rights. I am sure some Deputies have heard me say from time to time that the effort should be to achieve perfect equality, particularly before the law and indeed in all adminimstrative areas. In that respect I was very encouraged by the activities of the Joint Committee on Women's Rights who were established in the last Dáil and who did excellent work. I look forward very much to that committee being the main emphasis of our activities in this area.
I may have to accept what the Taoiseach said in that there will be some disagreement as to the method of handling women's affairs. The Taoiseach has said that there is a lot to be done to achieve equality and on the basis that something needs to be achieved — while I respect his view that a committee of this House may be a vehicle for achieving it — surely knowing how Government works, he will admit that a Minister is needed in this area if any action is to be achieved. He has admitted to the House that equality has not yet been achieved and surely a Ministry for Women's Affairs would be the correct vehicle for achieving that.
From what I hear, that experiment which was undertaken by the last Government was not entirely successful. I accept it is one avenue whereby progress in this area could be sought. My own view and experience is that the way we are going about it is the better way and I hope we will not be proved wrong.
Arising from the Taoiseach's reply——
I do not wish to dwell unduly on any of the questions as there are a number of questions for answer by the Taoiseach today. The Deputies should be brief.
Will the Taoiseach accept that the Council for the Status of Women cannot function with a cut of 36 per cent in their allocation for this year? Is it Government policy that they should be allowed to function or is it Government policy that they should cease to function?
The Deputy is addressing that question to the person who, more than anybody else, was responsible for bringing the Council for the Status of Women into being. I know some of the women concerned will make the point that various voluntary organisations came together and constituted the Council for the Status of Women but I always like to claim that it arose out of my action many years ago in establishing the Commission on the Status of Women. I am totally committed to the idea of the successful operation of the Council for the Status of Women but unfortunately at present all agencies, bodies and Departments have to take substantial cutbacks in their allocations. I hope that, when the budgetary situation improves, greater funds can be made available at the earliest possible moment, not alone to the Council for the Status of Women but for all the other agencies in that area.
May I ask the Taoiseach, in the event of his not reactivating the Ministry for Women's Affairs, which will be a great disappointment to women throughout Ireland, to make available a women's centre to the Council for the Status of Women to house even the archives and library material which they are expected to distribute because there is no longer a Ministry for Women's Affairs? Because of the economic climate and the cutbacks in other organisations under the aegis of the Council for the Status of Women it is now more important than ever that resources be made available to the council to enable some of those organisations to continue in existence?
I can only give a very qualified undertaking to examine that matter.