Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

This Sunday, 8 March, is International Women’s Day. Is the Tánaiste in any way embarrassed that, after four years of her Government’s tenure, not only has she not lifted a finger in key areas of women's rights crying out for vindication, but now her austerity policies are causing immense suffering for women on low and middle incomes, especially for women dependent on social welfare payments for which her ministry is directly responsible?

How does the Tánaiste feel that last summer the United Nations, a conservative body, had to call out the Government for its ongoing maintenance of the eighth amendment of the Constitution? It said the abortion ban and the Government’s pathetic Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act was a breach of civil and political rights and that women in Ireland were being effectively treated as vessels.

The United Nations particularly mentioned the disgrace of fatal foetal abnormalities. Last month, however, the Tánaiste trooped into this Chamber, along with other Labour Deputies, and voted down a Bill that could have dealt with that. Apparently that hypocrisy is acceptable because last weekend at the Labour Party conference, the Tánaiste suddenly decided to promise a referendum on this issue whenever Labour gets into government at some stage in the future. Given that is not likely to happen in any way, shape or form at any time soon, why does she not salvage something out of this Government for the Labour Party and hold a referendum to repeal the eighth amendment along with the other referenda she is planning in the remaining lifetime of the Government?

Will the Tánaiste deal in particular with the growing problem of the feminisation of poverty which has accelerated under her Government? Women have been traditionally lower paid and on lower incomes. As Minister for Social Protection, the Tánaiste has swung her axe on women in a shocking way. Her cuts to child benefit broke an election pledge, taking hundreds of euro out of the pockets of women and their families. For some inexplicable reason, however, she has singled out the poorest women and lone parents for particular attack. Her cuts to one-parent social welfare payments are nothing short of Thatcherite and have been condemned by Barnardos and countless other groups.

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