CSO report: some key findings

The number of women living as lone parents with children under 20 has risen from 65,600 to 122,800 since 1997

The number of women living as lone parents with children under 20 has risen from 65,600 to 122,800 since 1997. The number of lone male parents has increased from 8,100 to 9,700.

• Just 13 per cent of TDs in the Dáil are women. This places Ireland at 23rd out of 27 European countries and 10 per cent below the EU average.

• There were almost 900,000 women and about 1.2 million men in employment in Ireland this year. Women work an average of 31.3 hours per week and men an average of 40 hours per week.

• At 19.5 per cent, the proportion of women at risk of poverty in 2006, was higher than men ( 17.5 per cent).

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• In 2005, women's average income was 66.3 per cent of men's, while their hourly earnings were 86 per cent those of men.

• Women represented just 34 per cent of members of State boards and 20 per cent of members of local authorities in 2005. By comparison, 84 per cent of primary teachers and almost 80 per cent of health service staff are female.

• Latest figures show that only 30 per cent of 2,800 medical and dental consultants are women

• At 60 per cent, the employment rate for women in Ireland this year exceeded EU targets, while the rate for men at 77 per cent was also significantly above the EU average.