Sir, – David McWilliams hits the nail on the head in his article when he offers the following explanation as to why “we are having fewer children later; from an economic perspective, an obvious reason for this is precariousness” (“The middle-aged run Ireland. But the young have to pay for it,” November 8th).
I cannot express how seriously the housing crisis has impacted me (35 years old and female) and my friends. I and my peers, all high-achievers, have been unable to have any (dearly wanted) children to date due to severe lack of financial security.
Who indeed would want to bring a child into life sleeping in their parents’ spare bedroom, or in a flat share or rental, with no way to provide the stability and financial security that home ownership brings?
On a recent visit to a friend in Copenhagen, I was struck by how many couples in their young 20s had multiple babies. She explained the maternity benefits there (up to €680/week), split between parents so both have equal opportunity to spend time with the baby/return to careers; housing benefits, etc.
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Women there are in no way disadvantaged by having children. Housing is secure, high quality and affordable for all, so women leave college and don’t put off having children in order to attain security later in life.
Their security is guaranteed and women have more children, younger, because of it. Who knows how many children I and my friends would have had with such supports – certainly more than enough to maintain or increase the pension-paying workforce into the future. The Government’s strategy of pinning pension hopes on migrant workers (who are nevertheless welcome here), is incredibly short-sighted and a tragedy for Irish women. – Yours, etc,
EMMA MURPHY,
(Written from my childhood bedroom),
Ballyboughal,
Co Dublin.
