During the debate on financial strategy, the ardfheis condemned the Government for its failure, at a time of skills' shortages, to develop a strategy for maximising the number of women who wish to rejoin the workforce.
Proposing the motion, Ms Mary Greene, of Dublin West, called for the provision of childcare and the facilitation of part-time, flexible and family-friendly employment.
"We need genuine job-sharing, rather than dead-end, part-time jobs. There should be a radical restructuring of workplace hours to bring them more in line with children's needs."
The ardfheis also adopted a motion calling on the Government to continue the process of public service reform begun with the strategic management initiative.
Ms Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, of Laois-Offaly, said that many existing public servants were being drawn to the private sector.
Mr Brian Keenan, from Roscommon, said it was essential that Objective 1 status was retained for the 15 counties for which it was proposed.
He was supporting a motion calling on the Government to set out the various issues in negotiations with the EU on Agenda 2000, including corporation tax policy and the next round of structural fund negotiations.
Introducing the debate on financial policy, the party's spokesman on finance, Mr Michael Noonan, said that with almost half the world not in recession, the sustainable rate of growth in Ireland is now about 6 per cent annually.
"This is serious wealth creation and will provide the resources to solve many of our problems, provided a proper government gives proper leadership. I believe only a Fine Gael-led government can do this," he said.
He attacked the Government's record on traffic congestion and housing. "When apartments in Dublin have a higher rent than those in Amsterdam, Brussels or Paris, the attractions of returning to work in Ireland are seriously diminished. Unfortunately, the Bacon initiative has failed."
He too stressed the importance of childcare for women who wish to return to work, but said Fine Gael favoured an increase in child benefit rather than tax relief for childcare.