Vol. 427 No. 6
95 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for Social Welfare the priority he will give to the implementation of the recommendations of the Second Commission on the Status of Women in his area of responsibility; and the process of consultation he will employ on this matter.
The commission's recommendations on social welfare are directed at reforming the system to more closely reflect women's needs. The commission advocates that women working in the home receive payments in their own right rather than as dependants of their husbands; that women in the home do not lose entitlement to pensions as a result of periods spent caring for their families; that young lone parents should gain access to training and employment without jeopardising their social welfare payments and that women be better aided in their roles as carers of children and of the elderly. Possible options for changes in the system in light of the recommendations are being studied by my Department at present, having regard to the extent of the changes which would be required and their financial and other implications. I will be consulting with interested parties in this regard.
