David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 4: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on whether the social welfare system here gives adequate recognition and support to women and to the role of women in society; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23747/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

A key objective of my Department is to ensure that the range and level of social security coverage is appropriate to the social and economic circumstances of different groups, including women, and that the services for which people are eligible are readily accessible and delivered in an efficient, effective and integrated way.

There has been a significant increase in the level of social protection available to and being accessed by the female population over the past 20 years. Improvements in the comprehensiveness of social welfare schemes, including an increased recognition of the importance of caring through the homemakers schemes and carers payments points to an ongoing commitment to women in recognising the value of their work outside the formal labour force.

The Government is committed to supporting carers and this is demonstrated by the significant budget package of over €34 million provided to improve the payment rates and respite supports for family carers. The Government has also concentrated resources for child income support on the child benefit scheme, which is normally paid directly to the mother. Child benefit is neutral vis-À-vis employment status and income levels of parents and therefore does not distort parental choice in respect of labour force participation.

Over the period since 1997, the value of all social welfare payments has increased in real terms. In particular, the monthly rates of child benefit have increased by 271% at the lower rate and 258% at the higher rate, compared with inflation of 30.6%. This level of increase is unprecedented and delivers on the Government's objective of providing support for children generally while offering real choice to parents.

Increased participation by women in the formal economy has also led to higher levels of social protection afforded to women. The number of women at work rose by 420,000 in the period 1991-2003. In the past, the lower rates of participation in the paid labour market by women led to far lower levels of social insurance coverage for women, especially married women, than for men. By 2003, the number of single and married women in employment had more than doubled compared with 12 years earlier.

The numbers of insured persons grew from almost 1.44 million in 1990-91 to nearly 2.53 million in 2002. The general increase in coverage of the social insurance system has been accompanied by a rise in female coverage and access to benefits so that of the 1.9 million workers insured for all benefits, that is, PRSI class A contribution, almost 48% are women and more than 293,000 contributors paid PRSI as self-employed contributors in 2002, of whom almost 23% were women. The rise in coverage is also reflected in the data on benefit take-up. Of all weekly social insurance based payments, 53.9% were made to women.

A number of measures have been introduced in recent years which make it easier for people to qualify for pensions. These include extended social insurance coverage and an easing of the qualifying conditions for old age contributory and retirement pensions.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

These measures are of particular benefit to women who may have less than complete social insurance records due to working in the home.

The Government is also committed to increasing the payment for qualified adults, age 66 or over, to the same level as the personal rate of the non-contributory old age pension and a number of special increases have been given over several budgets in pursuit of this target. In addition, since October 2002, new pension claimants can opt to have the part of the payment in respect of their spouse or partner paid direct to that person.

The homemaker's scheme was introduced in 1994 to protect the pension entitlements of those who take time out of the paid workforce for caring duties. The scheme is being reviewed as part of the second phase review of the qualifying conditions for the old age contributory and retirement pensions. The review is due for completion in the next few months and developments regarding the homemaker's scheme will be considered in light of the review's conclusions.

The one-parent family payment is designed to provide income support to parents, generally women, with insufficient means who have to parent alone. One of the objectives of the one-parent family payment is to encourage and facilitate lone parents to consider employment as an alternative to welfare dependency while at the same time supporting them to remain in the home if they so wish.

Income support payments for lone parents are being reviewed in this context, particularly examining obstacles to employment for lone parents. The outcome will contribute to concrete proposals designed to better support and encourage lone parents in achieving a better standard of living, employment and education opportunities and a better future for themselves and their children.

I am also giving serious consideration to the introduction of a second tier of child income supports, aimed specifically at families in greatest need. The current national action plan against poverty and social exclusion specifically targets women as one of a number of groups who are particularly vulnerable to poverty and social exclusion, with a view to reducing or eliminating their level of risk and incidence of poverty and improving their access to services such as health care, education and employment. The Government is committed to continuing efforts to assist and support women and ensure that they have a fair share of improvements in quality of life.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Perhaps the Minister did not read the question, but I asked whether the social welfare system gives adequate support and recognition to women. I take it the answer is "Yes". What percentage of women over 65 get a State pension based on their own PRSI contributions? What percentage of women in employment are covered by an occupational personal pension and is the Minister happy with this number? What percentage of women involved in farming have a personal pension? Is it true that 90% of them have no such pension and is he happy with that? Is it true that 95% of all qualified adults are women and does he agree that the social welfare system reinforces women's dependence on men for income? What, if any, are his plans to make changes in this regard?

Séamus Pattison (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Deputy is seeking information that was not sought in the original question.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I am referring to the role of women in society and asking whether the social welfare system gives adequate recognition and support to them. These questions are based on an article by the National Women's Council. I am told that 95% of all qualified adults are women. Does the Minister agree that the social welfare system reinforces women's dependence on men? In its programme for Government, did this Administration not promise to raise the qualified adult allowance to the same level as a non-contributory pension? As it is now three years on, will this happen and if so, when? What plans, if any, does the Minister have to make changes to allow relatives, mainly women, assisting in family businesses to get insurance under the PRSI system?

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

In effect the Deputy has raised with me the agenda of the National Women's Council. Obviously he met its representatives, as I also did. If I were in Opposition I would also go through their shopping list. When I met them I gave them some answers. While I do not have at my fingertips the detailed data the Deputy seeks, I will get them for him.

Deputy Stanton asked me how many women over 65 receive social welfare payments. It is estimated that approximately 83% of women over 65 years of age——

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I asked how many of them receive payments based on their own PRSI contributions.

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Some 83% of women receive social welfare support in some form. Some 19,000 are supported as qualified adults on the pension of their spouses or partners. Approximately 90% of those receiving support have a payment in their own right. Many of these women receive widow's payments. At the end of January 2004, 32% of those in receipt of either an old age contributory or retirement pension were women. Some 63% of people receiving old age contributory pensions are men with 37% being women. It is interesting to compare this figure with those on non-contributory pensions where 58% of those receiving non-contributory pensions are women with 42% being men. It is clear that women mainly receive non-contributory pensions and men mainly receive contributory pensions. This shows vulnerability, on which matter I will return to the House with some thoughts as soon as I have the opportunity.

It is still Government policy to bring the qualified adult allowance up to 70% of the non-contributory pension. It is our intention to move towards that position over a number of budgets.

I have discussed the issue of family members and PRSI with representatives of the IFA. Obviously the Deputy meets the same people I meet. We explained to them the partnership and company requirement etc. I am familiar with the issue and they are familiar with our response, which is that we will examine the issue with a view to responding. I assure the Deputy that the issues he has raised are on our agenda.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I ask for more details on the Minister's plans regarding the qualified adult allowance and the promise to bring it up to the full allowance. He has said this will happen over a number of budgets. Given that the promise was made three years ago, how many budgets will it take for this to happen? While I am glad the Minister has acknowledged that women, particularly older women, are at risk of poverty when compared with men, what does he intend to do to help people in such a situation? What are the plans and timescale for the qualified adult allowance and for helping older women at risk of poverty or in poverty because of the vulnerability acknowledged by the Minister?

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The process of increasing the qualified adult allowance commenced with the budget for 2000 and a number of special increases have been given to qualified adults since then. While I know the Deputy referred to the ratio, the rate of the qualified allowance on the contributory pension now stands at €138.50, which is 84% of the maximum rate of the non-contributory pension. In that case we have gone well beyond the 70% target. Obviously I cannot at this stage explain our budgetary strategy. We will certainly seek to make improvements in this area on an incremental basis.

From the figures I gave earlier it is clear we have an issue regarding vulnerable women, particularly older women. I drew attention to this problem regarding occupational pensions. While I do not have the figure before me, from memory no more than 35% or so of women outside the public service who are in employment had an occupational pension and would need to rely on the State pension. I am giving considerable attention and thought to these issues which are complicated and do not have easy answers. However, the situation has improved as a result of substantial increases in welfare expenditure generally and women's participation in the workforce has increased dramatically. The combination of these factors has reduced the risk of poverty for women in particular.