National Women’s Council supports proposed Seanad motion for changes to the social welfare system

Published: Tuesday, November 08, 2005

The NWCI welcomes and supports the private members motion to modernise the current social welfare system, which will be put forward for discussion in the Seanad this evening (Wednesday 9 November, 5pm).

The motion, to be proposed by Senator Sheila Terry (Fine Gael), follows the NWCI's presentation to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social and Family Affairs last week. The NWCI presentation detailed the discrimination against women in the social welfare system. It called on the committee members and the government to reform the out-dated system, so that it treats women and men equally.

The Council encouraged the Joint Oireachtas Committee to examine the financial dependency of women on men, which is reinforced through our outdated social welfare system. The social welfare system, which was established in 1910 continues to be based on the male breadwinner model which is not appropriate for Irish society of today.

In particular, the NWCI is encouraged that under discussion this evening is the issue of the Qualified Adult Payment. The NWCI calls on the government to:

• increase the Qualified Adult Payment to 100% of full adult rate and make this payment directly to the Qualified Adult;
• 'credit' care work in the home (so that this work would be covered by PRSI 'stamps');
• make these credits retrospective for all people who engaged in unpaid care work since 1973 and ;
• enable self employed people / farmers to ensure their spouses and relatives are fully insured.

The NWCI were encouraged by the supportive reaction of the members of the Joint Oireachtas Committee and in particular Senator Sheila Terry (FG) for putting forward this motion.
The NWCI urges the government to take action in the up-coming Budget next month, to ensure equality between women and men in the social welfare system.