NWC Budget Analysis 2024: What did it deliver for women?
Published: Friday, October 13, 2023
National Women’s Council releases snapshot gender analysis of Budget 2024, says it has significant positive elements, but is not a roadmap to gender equality
Budget 2024 has significant positive elements for women, including investment in childcare and funding to tackle violence against women, an extension of child benefit and free secondary school books. However, it is a short-term budget that will not advance gender equality, as once-off payments and lack of investment to develop public services will not support women in the long-term. That’s according to the National Women’s Council (NWC) gender analysis of Budget 2024.
You can find NWC’s gender analysis of Budget 2024 here
Childcare
A lack of affordable childcare is the single biggest barrier to women’s equal participation in society. NWC is pleased to see the further reduction in childcare costs for families by an average 25%. We now want movement towards delivery of a public model. The most effective, fair way to deliver gender equality is through a public model of early years education which would also address inequalities, child poverty, and social exclusion.
Violence Against Women
NWC welcomes the €12m (25%) increase in funding for tackling domestic, sexual and gender-based violence to support implementation of the Zero Tolerance Strategy and the establishment of the new agency on DSGBV. Commitments under the Strategy by all responsible Departments need to be costed and resourced so that the Strategy can be realised in full. Critically, front line services need secure, sustainable funding through ring-fenced, multi annual allocations to ensure the delivery of essential services.
Social Protection
The increase of the Working Family Payment threshold, the extension of Child Benefit to 18 year-olds in full-time education, and the increase in the Carer’s Allowance income disregard are welcome. However, the Budget’s once-off social protection package will not provide income security beyond the short-term. Critically, the overall increase of €12 in social protection rates and the €4 increase in the Qualified Child Increase are inadequate to meet cost-of-living pressures. Over future budgets, Government must establish the Minimum Essential Standard of Living as the benchmark for social protection payments.
Climate
Our public transport infrastructure continues to ignore the specific needs of women, particularly around safety and accessibility. The once-off energy credits for household energy bills are welcome, although it is disappointing they were universal and not targeted. Additionally, there was no mention of resourcing towards the Just Transition Commission.
Health
Overall, the limited investment to develop or improve health services, which are so sorely needed is disappointing. It is essential that the good progress achieved in previous budgets on reproductive healthcare is sustained and there is ongoing commitment to the expansion of free contraception and IVF. The lack of the funding for new mental health services is also of serious concern with no allocation of funding to the establishment of the long-promised Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) to support women with severe or complex mental health difficulties.
Ends/
Find the full analysis here: https://www.nwci.ie/images/uploads/NWC_Post-Budget_Analysis_Snaphot_2024_FINAL.pdf
For comment: NWC’s Women’s Economic Equality Coordinator, Donal Swan
For more information, please contact Silke Paasche, NWC Head of Communications, 085-8589104