Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I realise time is short with the Easter recess approaching, but an urgent debate is required on the insolvency guidelines and how they will be dealt with by the personal insolvency service. There are mixed messages from Government and very worrying reports in the media. At the weekend, one newspaper indicated that women would be forced to give up their work if child care could not be afforded. On Monday the Taoiseach said, "I would find it quite incredible that somebody will say 'You are required to give up work in order to meet these charges'." That gave some hope and solace to the many women throughout the country who were concerned after reading about this in the Sunday newspapers, only for that to be dashed by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport saying clearly that women who were not in a position to pay for child care would have to give up their jobs.

We think this is fundamentally wrong. It is reminiscent of a day when women who were blessed with pregnancy were forced to leave the Civil Service. Women cannot help but wonder what the plan is within the Government in terms of assisting women in the workforce. We have had cuts to child care, the taxation of maternity benefit and now the suggestion that someone who cannot afford child care must give up her job, with a senior Minister contradicting the Taoiseach on that. One wonders what is next. Are we to take the vote off women altogether?

This is a worrying situation and in the interests of the women of Ireland, we must have a debate in order that there is clarity on the issue because we cannot have senior Ministers and the Taoiseach contradicting each other on it. I do not think it is appropriate either that a Government should set up an insolvency service that would preside over a situation whereby women would be forced to stay at home rather than being supported in the workforce through the provision of the necessary child care, which I imagine the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs would like to see, given that she has indicated she would like to see the provision of a second free preschool year. She should press ahead with that as a matter of urgency rather than the reports we have seen in recent days suggesting women will have to give up work.

There are reports today, following the conference of the AGSI where a number of members walked out as a protest, that those members might have disciplinary action taken against them. That would be highly regrettable. Members of the Garda have limited tools at their disposal to highlight the difficulties they have at any one time. Surely within the confines of their own conference, they should be entitled to register their protest in such a peaceful and meaningful way. I would regret very much if the Garda Commissioner felt it necessary to take disciplinary action against those members.