A chara, - Niamh Brennan (August 7th) is correct to call for recognition for all work and all life choices.
Parents and carers contribute to economy and society through a wide range of unpaid work. This work includes childcare for their own and others' children, care of relatives who require supervision and support due to illness or disability, community development and voluntary work, and support for the family farm.
Such work does not currently appear in the GDP or other statistics. Whether this work is carried out on a full-time basis, or done as a "second shift" after a job in the paid workforce, it is work and should be recognised as such.
Institutional care places are expensive for the taxpayer to provide, insure and staff. It is at least eight times more expensive to pay for an institutional care place through the health budget than to pay a home carer through the social welfare budget. Additionally, people in need of care would like a say in the arrangements made surrounding their care, and many would choose the home care option if they could fund it.
Many women, and more and more men, would like to take time out of the workforce, or at least reduce their hours in paid work, to look after their children or help support family members in need of care. But this means that they must be able to fund their absence from the workforce (including continuing their pension and social welfare contributions). Due to the current structure of the tax system and the high cost of living, especially housing, this is increasingly difficult for those on lower and middle incomes.
What is needed now is for parents and carers to have their voices heard. Over 400,000 people are parenting and caring on a full-time basis, and many more are doing so on a part-time basis, yet they have little representation within the Social Partnership process and in other political and social fora. Unpaid work needs to be included in the GDP. Crucially, there needs to be an agreed, structured way for parents and carers to access the value of their work.
Unless parents and carers are recognised as workers, fewer and fewer people will have the choice to do anything but work full-time in the labour market. This imbalance needs to be addressed as a priority. - Is mise, le meas,
ÁINE UÍ GHIOLLAGÁIN,
Vice-president WITH,
NGO representing
unremunerated parents
and carers ,
c/o 11 Wyattville Park,
Loughlinstown,
Dún Laoghaire.