Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I have only a couple of minutes and I have another question. Two things have become really clear over the course of Covid, the first being that in the absence of childcare, women are left holding the baby. The second, which has become blatantly clear, is that women can no longer be left holding the baby while also trying to hold down a job. We will have to address this. We have to get the childcare requirements of families right. I think there is a real risk at this point that if we do not get childcare right for families, we will have a two-tiered workforce system when we return to work and women will be left behind. It will be women who will be required to stay at home or, perhaps, take jobs that offer more flexibility but lower wages. I think there is a real risk that women's participation in the workforce will be very negatively impacted if we do not provide proper childcare facilities. Has the Department conducted a gender analysis of the lack of childcare and its impact on specific sectors? We see that the caring sector, including nursing, is heavily gendered. Has the Department provided a gender analysis in this regard? If not, is it willing to do one? My second question in that regard is this: Has the Department had any discussions with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation about the impacts of lack of childcare on female employees and employers in the sector and in the business area? Is the Department looking at pre-emptive solutions to mitigate any potential problems coming down the road?