Vol. 402 No. 3
9 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Taoiseach the progress made to date with regard to the establishment of the Second Commission on the Status of Women; if he will outline the commission's terms of reference and budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
10 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Taoiseach if, in relation to the speech made by the Minister of State at his Department to a conference on 26 September 1990 in which she referred to the big gap between equality before the law for women and equality in practice, he intends to take any specific steps to bridge this gap; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 10 together.
In her speech of 26 September Minister of State Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn referred to the gap between de jure and de facto equality for women which exists in all Western countries, including those, like Ireland, whose equality legislation conforms to the highest standards of the United Nations and the European Community.
It is precisely because the Government recognise that there are also considerable attitudinal and cultural barriers to women being able to play a full role in society on the basis of equality or equal opportunity and our desire to see them eliminated that we decided to establish a second commission on the Status of Women. The members of the commission have recently been appointed.
The terms of reference of the commission are: (i) to review the implementation of the recommendations of the first Commission on the Status of Women as set out in that commission's report to the Minister for Finance in December 1972; (ii) to consider and make recommendations on the means, administrative and legislative, by which women will be able to participate on equal terms and conditions with men in economic, social, political and cultural life and, to this end, to consider the efficacy and feasibility of positive action measures; (iii) in the context of (ii) above, to pay special attention to the needs of women in the home; (iv) to establish the estimated costs of all recommendations made; and (v) to report to the Government within a period of 18 months from the date of its establishment. The commission, which has Miss Justice Mella Carroll as its distinguished Chairwoman, will hold their first meeting this week — in fact tomorrow.
The commission have a budget of £25,000 in this, their first year of operation, and will for their duration continue to be funded at a level sufficient for them to work efficiently and effectively.
I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. I am pleased that at least my question seems to have facilitated the announcement of the formation of the commission, which occurred just a week before the question was due to be replied to last week. Nonetheless, it is welcome that it has been formed and that the terms are such that they will enable the commission to address the issue regarding women. While emphasising the question of addressing the position of women in the home, will the commission also address the position of women at work outside the home, because, according to the report on which Minister Geoghegan-Quinn based her remarks, by the end of this decade four out of every ten workers will be women. Clearly facilities and assistance will be required both for men and women to alter their roles in the home and to find a role in the workforce.
The second point I mentioned was to consider and make recommendations on the means, administrative and legislative, by which women will be able to participate on equal terms and conditions with men in economic, social, political and cultural life and, to this end, to consider the efficacy and feasibility of positive action measures. Therefore, it applies to all women.
Will such positive action measures include, for instance, child care facilities and provision for paternity leave which, obviously, will be necessary if more women are to take their place in the workforce outside the home?
Deputy De Rossa should leave that to the commission. I am sure they will examine all aspects.
Do you expect that that will be the case?
I am sure they will.
In welcoming the setting up of the second commission, may I ask the Taoiseach if he will also give a commitment that we will not have to await the recommendations of the second commission in regard to the implementation of several pieces of legislation and the introduction of positive action, even as a model, perhaps through the public service? Will the resources given to the second commission enable them to carry out the amount of research needed and the data which will have to be worked on?
Within reasonable and adequate limits.
Adequate?
In the case of all public moneys, some sort of control and prudence has to be exercised but I can assure the Deputy that there will be no penny-pinching.
Does the Taoiseach realise that positive action in this area depends on the resources given?
One of the things the commission will do is review what has happened to date and see what has to be done about all the work and recommendations of the first commission.
