Mary Henry (Independent)

I second the amendment. I refer the Minister of State to pages 88 to 94 in Contemporary Family Policy in Ireland and Europe which clearly shows how parental leave can support the family especially in cases where both parents are working and find it difficult to take unpaid leave. As Senator Tuffy said, while having a splendid economy is one matter, it is more important to consider what it does for everyone and how we can support everyone to keep the economy going. Some 30 years ago, 8% of married women worked outside the home and that figure is now 37%, which represents a huge increase. Many of those women are mothers with children under 18 — children seem to be young forever, which I say on the basis of having raised some. We should do everything we possibly can to support these families for our benefit, as they are the citizens of the future.