Vol. 418 No. 9
2 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Labour if he intends to introduce a national policy on child care for working parents so as to facilitate the participation of married women in the labour force; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The Government have indicated in response to the NESC Report on Women's Participation in the Irish Labour Market that they will develop specific policies and mechanisms to improve child care for working parents. This report identifies three central policy issues relating to female labour force participation — taxation, social welfare and child care services. The NESC consider that there are strong arguments in favour of a national policy on child care for working parents and suggest that research should be undertaken to identify the priorities to be addressed when formulating such a policy.
In developing a national policy on child care the Government will also take into account such developments as the Report of the Working Party on Child Care for Working Parents which was set up to devise specific recommendations for the development of child care partnerships between parents, local employers and community groups — this group are due to complete their report by the end of May; the deliberations of the task force on employment which is to examine and make recommendations on the employment implications and potential of a national child care system; the Child Care Act, 1991 which provides for regulation and standards; the recent EC child care recommendation enjoins member states to encourage a combination of interests, including the public authorities, the social partners and voluntary bodies, to co-operate in the interests of developing and making widely available good quality, accessible, and affordable child care arrangements; and the report of the Second Commission on the Status of Women which is expected to be completed this summer.
In developing a child care policy, the Government will further encourage strategies on the part of training bodies and employers generally to facilitate the participation of married women in the labour force. Measures to promote labour market flexibility such as flexible working hours, job sharing and career breaks are being encouraged in order to provide a wider range of employment choices for women and men.
It is evident from the reply that the Government are still talking about the provision of child care facilities and doing nothing about it. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Ahern, when Minister for Labour, established the task force on child care services. Can the Minister assure us, now that Deputy Ahern is Minister for Finance, that he will provide the finance to implement the recommendations of that task force? It is stated in the EC Social Charter that we should work towards providing equal opportunities in the work-place but in order to do this we must have adequate child care facilities. May I ask the Minister what the Department of Labour intend to do to meet the aspirations of the EC Social Charter in this regard?
In response to the Deputy's first supplementary question, I have known the Minister for Finance for quite a while and have been examining him as a character and I see no incipient Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde tendencies in him.
I will take that as a positive reply.
The burden of my reply indicated the Government's commitment to put the best possible arrangements in place to enable women's participation in the labour market to be accentuated.
Given the lack of adequate child care facilities, would the Minister agree that there is a high economic cost, that many highly skilled and motivated women find it necessary to leave the work force and, from an economic point of view, that we are losing out greatly?
I could not agree more. It is a tragedy that women with high qualifications or qualifications which are adequate for whatever employment they are involved in, are lost to the economy. The Government are taking the steps which I have just outlined to see to it that we can use the resources that are available.
Question No. 3.
A Cheann Comhairle——
I am sorry, but I have called Question No. 3.
