Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this report and its recommendations. Many of the recommendations reflect what we in Sinn Féin have calling for on a range of issues. First, I welcome the decision to delete Article 41 and to replace it with non-gender specific references to care. It is estimated today that family carers in Ireland number in excess of 500,000 people. Our carers do incredible work looking after family members who are elderly, ill or who have a disability. It is estimated that they save the State €20 billion every year and yet they often feel forgotten about, ignored or taken for granted and, in many cases, worthless. Any recommendation that would oblige the State to take reasonable measures to support care in the home and in the community is welcome.

I agree with and welcome the many other recommendations around carers, such that paid carers should have proper pay scale, pension entitlements, and a career structure. The income disregard for the carers’ allowance needs to be increased. An important clause recommends the reimbursement of the costs associated with caring, which is pertinent. The number of hours that a carer can work or pursue education in conjunction with caring should be increased, as recommended here. In fact, carers should be trusted to police this provision themselves. The report also recommends improved respite provision for carers. It is important that we care for the carers. Many of them are suffering with mental health issues due to a lack of support and adequate breaks.

The recommendations on childcare again echo our policy. It puts forward proposals that there should be a publicly funded form of childcare. This will not cannot happen unless the State starts to invest in childcare and spends at least 1% of GDP on childcare provision. Older people and disabled people need to be supported to live in their community independently. There should be personalised budgets based on the individual’s level of need. People need to be able to make choices about how to live their lives. They must be treated with respect and listened to. A statutory right to home care is essential. While it is included in the programme for Government, it needs to be implemented without delay.

The idea that somebody is still referred to as a “qualified adult” today is archaic. The fact that 90% of qualified adults are women comes as no surprise. Women account for only 33% of those in receipt of full State contributory pension, even though women outnumber men among the over 65s. Only 28% of women of pension age have an occupational private pension compared to 55% of men. Older, rural-based women are even less likely to have an occupational or contributory pension. On average, women have 29% less pension income than men. Approaches that tie the pension system more closely to employment and earnings exacerbates, rather than mitigates, gender inequalities, as well as intersecting with inequalities and discriminations experienced by disabled women, carers, lone parents, Traveller women, and other women who encounter barriers to the labour market.

In particular, the State has a responsibility to remedy the inequality experienced by women affected by the marriage bar, as supported in the recommendations of the citizens’ assembly. It is past time that any adult, male or female, should be described as a “qualified adult”. Every individual should be entitled to a social protection payment in their own right in this day and age, especially when awareness of domestic violence and coercive control should be commonplace. Every effort needs to be made to ensure that all adults have independent means.

The “qualified adult” payment is generally paid the primary claimant, unless the claimant and the qualified adult agree otherwise. This increases the qualified adult’s financial dependency. In the case of qualified adults living with an abusive partner, this financial dependency makes it harder for women to seek support or access services and possibly leads to violence. Moreover, the lack of access to independent income contributes to the ongoing financial abuse of the woman and any children while in that relationship.

A universal basic income scheme where no one is living below the poverty line is an excellent recommendation. It should be taken seriously.

Finally, the figures on female participation in politics and on boards in Ireland are startling. While I support gender quotas in politics, until certain political parties take it seriously, nothing is going to change. However, some parties are no longer as dominant as they were, so the problem may be overcome anyway. It is unbelievable that 38% of Irish companies have no females on their leadership teams. I believe sporting organisations need to do a lot more. They are making some effort to promote women in sport. Things have improved but they have a long way to go. I commend the report and its recommendations.

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