Men have done better than women out of Budget 2025, an analysis by the National Women’s Council (NWC) finds.
The report, published on Friday, finds Tuesday’s budget delivered more in long-term tax cuts “which will provide a significant windfall for the richest in society, who are disproportionately men”, than increased investment in public services which would have a greater impact on women’s lives.
“Women continue to have lower incomes, less wealth, fewer resources, all while shouldering the greater share of unpaid care responsibilities,” notes the analysis.
In addition, women are more likely to be in part-time, low-paid employment than men, earning less than men. Tuesday’s tax cuts “will do next to nothing for those women”.
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As they age, women continue to be more dependent on lower incomes. “As women are more likely to be in low-paid, part-time jobs on precarious contracts, and are more likely to take time out of paid employment because of caring and supporting responsibilities, they are less likely to be eligible for the full State pension (contributory), less likely to be covered by occupational or private pension schemes, and more reliant upon the means-tested State pension (non-contributory).”
So, while the €12 increase in core social protection payments, including one-parent families, jobseeker’s and State pension, are welcome they are not high enough, says the council, to provide sustained, long-term support to the poorest households, most of which are headed by women, in an ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
An area of significant spending was on once-off lump sums, including to welfare recipients and all households in energy credits. While these would bring some relief, “the temporary supports are just that — temporary”, notes the report.
The council welcomes several measures supporting women, particularly the introduction of free hormone replacement therapy; two double child benefit payments before Christmas, increase in child support payment (formerly qualified child increase) rates, extension of free schoolbooks to Leaving Certificate pupils, extension of the free hot school meals to all primary schools, increase in the earnings threshold for carers allowance and working family payment, and increased funding for the new domestic and gender-based violence agency, Cuan.
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However, “they are by and large a relatively small aspect of the overall budget package”, notes the analysis.
On childcare — lack of which in an “accessible and affordable” way — is “the single biggest barrier to women’s equal participation in society”. There was further investment but “without significant reform”. The document reiterates the call for “creation of a new public system of early childhood education and care”.
Looking at health, women, and particularly marginalised women such as Traveller, Roma, migrant and disabled women “will continue to experience significant health inequalities”.
“Ireland’s reliance on private health services and its two-tier health system impacts on women’s timely access to quality care.” The NWC was disappointed there remained no commitment to establishing specialist perinatal mental health services or an inpatient psychiatric unit for mothers where they could bring their newborn babies during their treatment.
Turning to fuel poverty, again experienced disproportionately in woman-headed households, especially by older women and lone parents, the report notes the two universal energy credits of €125 each to every household — many of which “will not need it” — carries a cost of €500 million. This was “a significant missed opportunity” to instead expand the fuel allowance (€33 a week between September and April) to a greater number of low-income households, including those on the working family payment.
Among other areas of concern are the absence of an additional payment to recipients of disability allowance recognising the additional cost of being disabled and the “continued absence of gender-sensitive housing provision”, and limited, targeted supports for marginalised homeless women.
