Budget 2008 must tackle inequalities for women

Published: Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Budget 2008 will be the first opportunity for the Government to make the promises they made to the women of Ireland, prior to the General Election, a reality.
'Before the General Election, the Government made a series of promises to women, to address the continuing inequality for women in Ireland. Budget 2008 will provide the opportunity for the Government to act on its promises' stated Orla O'Connor, NWCI Head of Policy, at the launch of the National Women's Council's Pre-Budget Submission in Dublin today(Wednesday October 24th 2007).

The NWCI Pre-Budget Submission highlights the priority areas of inequality for women where resources are desperately needed in the forthcoming budget.

The key areas where the NWCI is calling for changes to be made in Budget 2008 are:

• an end to the discrimination against women in the social welfare system - by making full payments to women in their own right;
• the immediate full national rollout of BreastCheck to all areas without further delay and the immediate full national roll-out of the Irish Cervical Screening Programme;
• the introduction of a free universal pre-school place for all children aged three and four before they enter primary school and;
• an immediate distribution of the €4.5m announced in Budget 2007 to dedicated frontline responses to Violence Against Women.

Speaker Ellen O'Malley-Dunlop, CEO, Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, supported one of the NWCI's Pre-Budget Submission key recommendations by calling for the 'immediate distribution of the €4.5m announced in Budget 2007 to dedicated frontline responses to Violence Against Women, which should be in addition to allocations for this coming Budget (Budget 2008)'. She added that 'this allocation should be clearly ring-fenced for frontline service responses'.

Frances Byrne, CEO, OPEN spoke in support of the NWCI in its call for the introduction of a free universal place for children aged three and four before they enter primary school. 'This is critical, not only for the development of children but also for lone parents, to enable them to take up education and employment possibilities'.

Denise Charlton, CEO, Immigrant Council of Ireland spoke of the experiences of migrant women in Ireland, describing the 'significant and positive contribution that they are making to Ireland, economically, socially and culturally'. Ms Charlton welcomed the NWCI recommendation for the allocation of €3m for the implementation of the National Action Plan Against Racism (NAPAR) in 2008 with a particular focus on actions addressing the needs of minority ethnic women. She went on to say that 'Ireland has gained significantly from the contribution of migrants, but it is not a 'free lunch'. What's now required is significant investment in integration and immigration policies'.

The NWCI is due to present its Pre-Budget 2008 Submission to the Department of Finance tomorrow, as part of the Minister of Finance's Consultation with social partners under Towards 2016 (T16).

'The NWCI Pre-Budget Submission highlights where resources are urgently required to address the persistent inequalities and discrimination which women experience everyday in Ireland. The Council will be calling on Minister Cowen TD tomorrow to address these issues in Budget 2008 and in doing so, to deliver on promises which have already been made, yet again, to the women of Ireland' concluded Ms O'Connor.

Ends
For further information:
Ciara O'Shea, NWCI Communications Officer, 087 993 7663

Editor's Notes:

Submission Details:
The full list of priority areas of the NWCI Pre-Budget Submission are:

• Social Welfare
• Migration & Anti-Racism
• Women's Health
• Violence Against Women
• Childcare -Decision-Making