Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The cultural piece in respect of multiple seat constituencies is important. There are demands to be everywhere. Everyone's event is, naturally, the most important to them but I would like to put my kid to bed some nights of the week. Choices have to be made and it is very difficult. We must talk positively about politics before we can attract more people but we cannot be dishonest about the realities of the pressures involved and how little politicians see their children, no matter how they structure things. In my view, it is almost better to be in the Chamber at 10 p.m. on a Wednesday because it means I have the flexibility to do a collection from school at 4 p.m. on a Monday. I do not necessarily agree that a 9 p.m. to 5 p.m. arrangement works as well as possible.

I have proposed a Bill, which the Government supported on Second Stage, addressing the potential for remote and proxy voting for Deputies in certain circumstances. It would give an option during maternity and paternity leave. There are many male Members of Parliament whose partners have had babies in recent years. There is no real reason for a Member to be in the Houses at 10 p.m. on a Wednesday for the first six months of a child's life. That Member could be at home supporting his partner as he or she looks after the small child. That is one of the Bills we are considering at this committee. I want to flag that as part of the proposed referendums.

In respect of the broader cultural piece, I want to pick up on what my colleague, Deputy Hourigan, said about gender budgeting and considerations. Much of this committee's consideration relates to cultural changes and the differences in care and the additional responsibilities that fall to particular Members and the additional difficulties they face. A group of parents were before the Joint Committee on Autism recently. The five or six guests of the committee were all women. This Government has extended considerably the eligibility for carer's allowance. Those are the sorts of practical things the Government can do to try to help. Deputy Hourigan spoke about maintenance. There are women from every walk of life and across every demographic in my constituency who have experienced divorce, desertion or domestic violence. These things can happen to anybody. There are critical junctures in people's lives. Perhaps they have had a child with a significant care need, or they have a maintenance problem or need to sort out a new life after a situation of domestic violence. Universal measures are important in that regard. A universal approach is required. That would, for example, include the removal of the means test for supports in situations of domestic violence. Easy access to maintenance is required. These are just additional things that the people affected must do. We have also talked about effecting cultural change in the corporate sphere where men and women are looking for flexible working. That should be the norm. These are all cultural changes. The universal measures are important.

The free books scheme was fantastic for everybody concerned. However, even in my constituency, that will not apply to fee-paying schools. I know of a number of women in that situation who would benefit from a universal approach. Those sorts of schemes should apply to everybody and not only some people.

How can we use the body of work this committee has undertaken in seeking to win a referendum, whenever that happens? How can we use that dialogue politically to try to effect the cultural changes that are going to be crucial for effecting long-term change for women and men?