Ms Ann Irwin:

Gabhaim buíochas leis an coiste, Teachtaí Dála agus Seanadóirí, as ucht an deis an cur i láthair seo a dhéanamh. The National Women's Council of Ireland is delighted to be making this presentation. We hope that some of what we say will make it into the design of budget 2014. As might be expected from an organisation such as the National Women's Council of Ireland, our submission is quite wide-ranging and refers to eight priority areas. I will try to touch on as many of those areas as possible in the three minutes available to me.

The National Women's Council of Ireland is acutely aware that budget 2014 is being designed in the context of an ongoing economic crisis. However, we firmly believe that a different approach is now needed. I absolutely concur with some of what my colleagues said in this regard. We have considered some of the evidence which indicates that austerity does not work and we are of the view that it is absolutely not working for women, children and families, many of whom are really struggling. Cuts to public expenditure affect those on low and middle incomes and women most. The National Women's Council of Ireland is advocating a move away from this policy direction. We are examining the proportionality between raising taxes and making cuts and we believe the Government has a choice in this regard. What we are advocating is that the burden of that proportionality be assigned to an increase in taxes on the highest income earners.

We have taken a real interest in the budgeting process itself because we believe it to be important, particularly as the priorities of Government are set out as part of it and it also involves decisions as to who will be positively and negatively affected. Reports from TASC, the ESRI and the Department of Social Protection show that recent budgets have had a disproportionate effect on women, lone parents and children. We are recommending that budget options and future budgets must be proofed in order to ensure that they will not negatively affect those - including women - who are already struggling. The latter is the norm in many countries and we would certainly welcome an initiative in this regard. Earlier today I read a newspaper article by Professor Pat Dolan on Welfare Watch, which was introduced in Iceland. We could certainly consider introducing something similar here.

All of the EU and international literature states that the need to support more women in the context of their entering and remaining in employment is crucial to economic recovery. We are seeking that the eligibility in respect of labour market activation be extended to all those who are currently jobless and who want to avail of it. Such activation should not just be available to those on the live register. In addition, we are of the view that young unemployed women must be specifically targeted. In order to support women in entering and remaining in work one of the most crucial prerequisites is accessible and affordable child care. This is one of the two reasons emphasis must be placed on early childhood care and education. The other reason is that which relates to the development of child. At present and regardless of what measure one uses, Ireland is generally at the bottom of the league when it comes to the provision of high-quality accessible child care provision. Public spending on child care in Ireland, as a percentage of GDP, is among the lowest in the OECD. Consequently, child care costs are very high.

It is clear that the current provision is not working to facilitate parents, particularly women, to combine work and family life. Everyone has seen the recent media coverage of the quality of child care facilities here and we are of the view that something concerted must be done about this matter. We are seeking a multi-annual investment in the quality of provision of early childhood care and education, including a package to train and upskill staff; increased investment in the quantity of early childhood care provision, including a second free preschool year; and a designated budget for out-of-school-hours child care.

In the context of income adequacy, we are of the view that work must pay. As a result, pay rates - and particularly those at the lower levels - must be protected. It is a false economy to say that cutting wages at the lowest levels will save money in the long term. We are certainly seeking that wage rates at the lowest levels should at least be protected. We are also seeking that the Department of Social Protection should recognise atypical working patterns by calculating unemployment on the basis of hours rather than days per week.

On child income supports, we would strongly argue that child benefit in particular has been cut enough and that it should, in fact, be increased again. We would also say that the universality of child benefit needs to be maintained. We acknowledge that there has been some provision for people on social welfare to offset the reductions in child benefit and we are of the view that these top-up benefits must be extended to others on low incomes, particularly those who are in receipt of family income supplement and who possess medical or GP-only cards.

We are of the view that women have historically been restricted from pensions and that there is a need to overhaul the pension system. There is also a need to address the discrimination caused by the impact of the marriage bar on women's pension entitlements. That impact is being experienced by many of our members at present.

In the context of protecting vulnerable women, lone parents have been absolutely decimated in recent budgets. This is a section of society which really must be protected. Traveller, Roma and migrant women also need to be protected.

When it comes to health, we have made recommendations in respect of BreastCheck, women and smoking and women and osteoporosis. I also take this opportunity to refer to services relating to domestic violence and the need to protect the voice of women and women's organisations in the community and voluntary sector. The organisations to which I refer are the backbone of much of the work that is done in this country and they must be protected.