Women currently working in the home could displace foreign workers if they re-entered the labour force, the Minister of State with responsibility for Labour Affairs said yesterday.
Mr Frank Fahey pointed out that about 36,000 work permits had been given out to non-EU nationals up to October, while 531,000 women were still working in the home.
"There is a need for employers to recognise that we have in our society a very good potential workforce, women in the home who want to return to work, and I feel that many of those people could take up the employment opportunities that are being taken by people coming in from the outside."
Mr Fahey was speaking at the opening of a new FÁS programme aimed at helping women to return to employment.
The "Gateway for Women" initiative provides training which is specifically geared to each woman's needs. For example, in the Dublin pilot programme, one woman is training to be an electrician while others are interested in taxi-driving. The most popular request from women is for the updating of office skills.
FÁS organises the relevant training and liaises with employers to ensure that their skills needs are being met.
Women receive a training allowance where relevant, and help with childcare costs is also available.
About 100 women are involved in the pilot project but FÁS aims to have increased this to 1,000 by next September. Mr Rody Molloy, FÁS director general, said he expected the initiative would be available in Galway before February and a programme is being planned for the Monaghan/Cavan/north Leitrim region.
According to Mr Fahey, about 27,000 women are considering returning to paid employment. He said it was "quite remarkable" that so many women did not appear to be interested in availing of the job opportunities.
Ms Gráinne Healy, National Women's Council chairwoman, said the lack of affordable childcare was one barrier, but women were also affected by the lack of elder care. After many women had reared their own children, they then took on responsibility for looking after their parents, parents-in-law or elderly relatives.
