Vol. 402 No. 10
9 Mr. Byrne asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he has considered the strategy to combat womens' poverty suggested in two recent reports produced by the Combat Poverty Agency Towards a Policy for Combating Poverty Among Women and Working for Change; if he intends to act on any of the recommendations contained in the reports; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The reports entitled Towards a Policy for Combating Poverty Among Women and Working for Change which were published by the Combat Poverty Agency earlier this month contain wide ranging recommendations in relation to women's access to income, services and development opportunities.
These reports are currently being examined within my Department and the various recommendations made by the agency will be taken into account in the ongoing development of the social welfare system.
I would not have expected any other answer. I am asking what the Minister intends to do about implementing the recommendations concerning the people who are most exploited, the women of this country. Would the Minister consider that the State funding and regulation of childcare facilities would be important in allowing women to go back to the workplace? Would he agree that he, in conjunction with the Minister for Labour, should be in contact with employers to ensure the private provision of childcare facilities in far more factories, offices and so on? This would allow women to return to the workforce more quickly.
I introduced this year for the first time a scheme of grants for women. Approximately 180 groups of women throughout the country who are mainly providing facilities for disadvantaged women or women caring for disadvantaged children in local areas have benefited under this scheme. The Little Bray Family Resource and Development Centre, the North Wall Women's Centre and the Ronanstown Self-Development Group which was funded for a two-year period by the Combat Poverty Agency received no funding after that period but rather grants under the scheme we introduced this year — of £10,000 to each of the projects — to enable them continue the work they had undertaken. I appreciate the value of that kind of work enormously within the community. I will do anything I can to encourage and support it, as I know Members on all sides of the House recognise its value. In regard to the Department of Labour and employers, I should say that is a matter for that Department.
I know the Minister appreciates, as I do, that one of the great findings has been that women, when given money at local level, can do a tremendous amount to alleviate their poverty and that prevailing within their respective areas. Would the Minister accept that he would be doing a great service if he put such funding on a regular basis, rather than on the chance element of coming, cap in hand, to him now with a budget of grants larger than the Combat Poverty Agency? Would the Minister agree that he would be doing a great service both in combating poverty, and to women's groups, if he regularised a source of funding for these groups?
The Combat Poverty Agency had the benefit of assistance from the EC for a large number of projects over that period. That has now come to an end, there being two major projects only being funded by the EC. In that sense it was indeed fortunate that, in addition to the grants for women's groups, I was able to introduce grants in respect of local development groups. I did so to provide support of the kind mentioned by the Deputy to 15 groups around the country, and it comprises core support for such groups on a three-year basis. At least that meets the requirement, to some degree, of continuity to which the Deputy referred. I appreciate that it is much needed and we have taken action in relation thereto in the current year.
When did the Minister receive the reports referred to in the question? Will he say when his examination of them will be completed? Is he aware of any of their contents and do any of them commend themselves to him?
They are very recent reports and they are being considered. They raise many issues, some of which are already being tackled. For instance, one is very important from the point of view of women, that is the position of part-time workers because part-time work affects women and young people mainly. I have been conscious of that for quite some time. We have discussed the matter in the House. It is being examined within my Department and by the National Pensions Board so far as pension entitlements are concerned but, principally within my Department, with a view to tackling the whole question of providing adequate cover for people in part-time employment.
The other matter we have been tackling is that of providing adequate incomes for families and others, matters such as the "back to school" period in respect of which we have just provided a grant, meeting that requirement. That highlights the fact that, at certain times of the year, there is need for additional funding above the basic payments. Then there is a call for an on-going appraisal of the family income supplement scheme in order to maximise its take-up and consider effecting payment to the mother. That is important and we will be doing that in the context of the Programme for National Recovery and the forthcoming budget. We are undertaking that examination as a matter of urgency at present.
Will the Minister agree that the problem of tacking or alleviating women's poverty is not the sole task of the Minister for Social Welfare? Will he agree there must be evolved a strategy between himself and his colleague, the Minister for Labour? Nonetheless there are two areas he can address immediately. When does the Minister intend raising the level of the basic social welfare payments to women as recommended by the Commission on Social Welfare? In addition, will he consider, in conjunction with the Minister for Labour, the overall position of taxation of low-paid workers? Will he agree that such taxation should be reduced because of the poverty trap in which many low-paid workers find themselves?
This is very distinctly a separate matter.
These are issues which fall to be considered within the context of the forthcoming budget. Women's dependant rates have been increased in line with the percentage recommendation of that report, that is the pro rata recommendation. Other suggestions will be put forward by the household study group who are at present examining the overall position of households and how best to tackle that problem.
In relation to women, one of the most important actions taken in recent times was that of bringing separated women under the umbrella of the lone parents' allowance scheme. From next week onwards separated women will be entitled to what would have been called heretofore the deserted wives allowance, now the lone parents' allowance scheme. That constitutes a huge improvement for women finding themselves in the most disadvantaged circumstances, an improvement worthy of note. Women in those circumstances will recognise that it is the first time they have ever been involved since heretofore, because they were legally separated, their cases could not be considered under the provisions of the legislation which related to deserted wives. Now they will qualify in their present circumstances. As the Deputy will be aware, such women will no longer have to prove desertion in order to qualify for the lone parents' allowance scheme, beginning next week. That is a particularly important development for women in those circumstances. It will remove much of the trauma involved in having to prove desertion, or some kind of constructive desertion. I should like the House to be aware that we are actively pursuing many aspects of the problems pertaining to women mentioned in the question.
