Madam, - The Irish Human Rights Commission has called for the repeal of Article 41.2 of the Constitution (which guarantees to protect the role of women in the home) as outdated.
At first glance this seems to be a good idea. As the IHRC points out this Article seems to cast "women as home-makers and mothers - what they describe as a dependent role" (Irish Examiner, March 8th). Only the most Neanderthal among us would wish to have women "barefoot and pregnant", as it were. Yet the IHRC is less clear about what might be put in its place.
At the time the Constitution was drafted one salary per household was the norm. Prices, whether of weekly groceries or a new house, were based accordingly. Since then a major social change has taken place. Now two salaries (or one-and-a-half) are the norm.
Having both partners of a family working was originally intended to help make ends meet better. Of course it was also because perhaps both partners wanted to expand their careers - fair enough. But it didn't take shops and builders long to catch on there were now two salaries per household from which to draw - and prices went up accordingly. The little bit extra soon became the standard requisite for day-to-day living.
Then, with both parents working a new problem emerged - the exorbitant cost of childcare. Most of that extra salary gets gobbled up in crêches and so on but you'll still need both for what before would have required only one. Anyone wishing to opt out of this rat race is at a serious disadvantage. They'll struggle to buy their groceries and most likely will never be able to afford a house.
Now, I'm not suggesting that it is only women who should stay at home. Many men might like to raise their kids themselves rather than farm them out to paid strangers - who however well-intentioned, cannot have more concern for the child than its own parents. If Article 41.2 is scrapped and nothing put in its place, parents who currently have some sort of Constitutional basis for State aid, will find they have non.
The IHRC suggests that Article 41.2 casts women in a dependent role (i.e. having no income of their own). Why not then, suggest that the spirit of Article 41.2 be truly invoked and that every housewife should get paid a salary in recognition of the very real work they do - work by the way that is essential to the future of the State, as Article 41.2 acknowledges? This would remove any dependency at a stroke and give effect to what this Article promises.
As things stand in this State at present, the position of many parents both having to work in order to have a roof over their heads and raise their families means this Article is being breached. Remove it and you absolve the Government of their responsibilities and parents of their rights. - Yours, etc.,
NICK FOLLEY, Ardcarrig, Carrigaline, Co Cork.