Childcare cuts welcome but public model needed for gender equality, says National Women’s Council

Budget 2024 has significant positive elements for women, but it is a “short term budget that will not advance gender equality,” according to the National Women’s Council (NWC).

The NWC said it was “pleased to see further reduction in childcare costs for families” by an average 25 per cent, as a lack of affordable childcare is the single biggest barrier to women’s equal participation in society.

“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,” a statement from the NWC said.

It also welcomed the €12m (25 per cent) increase in funding for tackling domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

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The NWC’s gender analysis of the budget said it was critical that front line services receive “secure, sustainable funding through ring-fenced, multi annual allocations to ensure the delivery of essential services”. 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 were welcomed by the NWC. However, the Budget’s “once-off social protection package will not provide income security beyond the short-term,” it said.

“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,” it said, adding that over future budgets, the Government should establish the Minimum Essential Standard of Living as “the benchmark for social protection payments”.

Public transport infrastructure “continues to ignore the specific needs of women, particularly around safety and accessibility,” it said.

“The once-off energy credits for household energy bills are welcome, although it is disappointing they were universal and not targeted”.

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There was “limited investment” to develop or improve health services in Budget 2024, which was “disappointing,” the NWC said.

“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,” it said, adding: “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)”.