Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

Ireland's priorities regarding the Lisbon Agenda are to maintain a stable macroeconomic environment and sound public finances, enhancing our competitiveness through investment in knowledge and innovation and continuing to deliver more and better jobs, including full employment opportunities for men and women alike.

The Deputy asked a number of questions pertaining to the ESRI report on gender equality. I am not aware that the report has been presented but I will pursue the matter and provide the Deputy with up-to-date information as quickly as possible.

I am pleased with the changes we have made in different sectors of the economy, including in taxation. These have given opportunities to women of all ages to choose whether to enter the workforce, the sector in which they wish to work and whether to take permanent or part-time employment. It is critical for all citizens, including women and specifically highly qualified and skilled mothers in the home who have completed rearing their families, that the new system in place, notably in the area of taxation, allows them to re-enter the workforce and offer the economy the benefit of their experience and skills.

Child care is a key issue in the modern economy. I am somewhat disappointed, however, that every decision to provide generous support for child care in recent budgets has resulted in an immediate increase in the cost of child care. In handling this situation through the creation of facilities across the country to distribute resources, we must be careful to avoid creating an inflationary spiral that would impede people from accessing existing opportunities, including their child care requirements. That balance must be carefully measured. I am pleased that we have been able to deliver child care services in urban and rural areas, which has not been the position in other services. Such services have been of major benefit to young mothers but there is still much more to be done as the economy grows and opportunities arise. Given the requirements of the economy, it is critically important that we continuously address the need to provide adequate child care. In that way, young people can meet their own responsibilities and have the choice to work in mainstream economic activities while being guaranteed a good, efficient, modern, professional and caring child care service. That is very important.

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