Vol. 494 No. 5
39 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that many women who work in the home are excluded from FÁS courses, back to education schemes and so on in view of the fact they are not eligible to sign on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18797/98]
Access to many labour market programmes is confined to those who are signing on the live register for a specified period of time. Access to the live register itself is available to men and women who satisfy the conditions for receipt of unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance or who are entitled to sign for unemployment credited contributions. There are, however, programmes available for which attachment to the live register is not a requirement and female participation rates in these courses have increased significantly over the years.
In accordance with a commitment given in Partnership 2000, a working group has been established to review the question of access to labour market opportunities with a view to increasing gender equity. This group is chaired by my Department and includes representatives from the National Women's Council of Ireland, the INOU, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the Irish Business and Employers Confederation, the Irish Farmers' Association, the congress centres for the unemployed, FÁS, the Employment Equality Agency, Aontas and relevant Government Departments. It is expected the report of the group will be completed early next year and the Government will then consider the action that needs to be taken on foot of the recommendations.
Does the Minister agree this is not really a question of gender equity? Women who work in the home, whose husbands go out to work, are being discriminated against because of their husbands' incomes. They are not entitled to sign on for many of the available courses as the overall household income may be in excess of the amount which would give them the opportunity to sign on for UA or UB. Is that not unfair to people who give tremendous service through their work in the home? Is the Minister not discriminating against mothers who are prepared to stay at home to care for their children?
The question related specifically to attachment to the live register. Some FÁS courses are available to people who are not on the live register. A campaign was launched in 1996 on this issue as a result of which the then Minister for Social Welfare arranged a number of initiatives. A specific commitment was contained in Partnership 2000 that the participation by women in mainstream vocational, education, training and employment programmes would be reviewed. The working group was set up as a result of that and is expected to publish its report next year. The Government will make decisions arising from that report.
Will the Minister give an undertaking that he will communicate with the working group and make the case that women who work exclusively in the home should have an opportunity to participate in the courses from which they are currently excluded? It is unfair that women who devote their lives to working in the home should be discriminated against in this manner.
I think we would all empathise with that. The working group is considering how women might be given greater access to the labour market.
That concludes Priority Questions. We now come to ordinary questions. Due to the suspension of Deputy Rabbitte from the service of the Dáil, Question No. 40 in his name cannot be tabled.
Can I not take the question on the Deputy's behalf?
