Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to discuss the recommendations of the Citizens' Assembly on Gender Equality. It is important that we use every opportunity to discuss the ways in which we can encourage and create pathways for more women to become involved, be that in civic life or, through greater pay equality, in positions of leadership in the public and private sectors. In our submission to the assembly, we expressed the view that women themselves must be the ones to determine the solutions to dismantling the barriers they face. It is equally vital that migrant women, women from the LGBTQI+ community, carers, including those who care for children, women outside the traditional workforce, women with disabilities and Traveller women, to name but a few, be included in this process.

There are practical examples of where Government policy can positively challenge gender stereotypes. Recently, the Department of Education acknowledged that the gender gap at third level was heavily influenced by subject choices and, as a result, career guidance at second level was undertaken. This is a perfect example of where the Government can effect positive change.

Despite some progress, we still have a long way to go as a country. A recent OECD report on equality budgeting found that there was no overarching strategy or set of goals in Ireland and it was difficult to judge if any of the goals being set by Departments independently were having any real impact or meeting needs. The Minister referred to this in the context of the lack of data, which I hope is something that will change. The OECD set out clear objectives and I would like to see the Government taking some of them on board.

Obviously, we are supportive of the gender pay gap legislation. I am unsure as to whether it is still before the Dáil. I recall that we debated it in the convention centre. We engaged extensively with it at the Committee on Justice and proposed a series of amendments to it.

We believe that the Low Pay Commission has a vital role to play in tackling inequality and in-work poverty, which disproportionately affects women. We have seen that in the context of Covid over the past year and a half. Many of the key roles in the early years sector and healthcare are predominantly filled by women. They are earning very low pay but doing vital work. Many of us never took them for granted, but everyone has seen over the past 18 months how valuable their roles are. While it is important that public discourse shifted in the past few decades and women who smashed glass ceilings are celebrated, there must be a greater focus on the struggles that many women face in reaching even junior management levels and on the gaps that negatively impact on career progression, earnings and pension entitlements. I have often been struck by the issue of pensions in this context, since it is often women who, due to the cost of childcare, must take parental leave for one or two days per week or give up working outside the home entirely. They only realise afterwards that doing so has affected their pensions. Generally, none of us thinks about pensions until later in life. This is something that affects women.

I wish to take a few minutes to discuss three of the assembly's 45 recommendations that recommend constitutional change in the area childcare. They recommend a publicly funded, accessible and regulated model of childcare over the next decade; increasing the State's spend on childcare from the current 0.37% of GDP to at least 1% by no later than 2030; and paid leave for parents to cover the first year of a child's life, be non-transferable, provide lone parents with the same total leave period as a couple, and be incentivised by increasing payment levels to encourage an increased uptake, which would also be important for lone parents.

The early years and childcare sector has been discussed. We feel strongly about having a publicly funded model, reducing fees for parents and introducing a decent wage scale for those who work in the sector. Encouraging women back to work or education is often discussed, but there is not always the infrastructure to support that. In an early years and childcare survey that I conducted last year, an issue for parents, predominantly women, was that they were locked out of work because of the cost of childcare, childcare spaces not being available or both. I imagine that the issue of cost is the overriding factor. While the pandemic shone a light on this sector like never before and how vital it was to the economy probably took some men by surprise, I do not believe that many women were surprised. Doctors, nurses, retail staff, carers and other vital front-line workers could not get to work because of childcare issues.

I acknowledge the extensive work that the assembly's members, including its chair, have undertaken on behalf of their fellow citizens. The role they have played in changing Ireland into a better, more inclusive and fairer society for women is commendable and I thank them for that. As the Minister stated, we must match their commitment by accepting their recommendations and implementing them without delay.

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