Women in the Republic are having more children than those in any other EU state despite high childcare costs and record numbers of females in employment, new figures show.
Figures compiled by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show Irish women have an average of almost two children (1.95 children), followed by France (1.9), Finland (1.8) and Denmark (1.78).
The high fertility rate - which has been increasing over the last decade - comes at the same time as a dramatic rise in the proportion of women in employment, from 43 per cent in 1996 to 59 per cent in 2006.
This increase in employment also applies to women with young children, suggesting an increased use of childcare.
A breakdown of figures compiled by the CSO for The Irish Times shows employment rates of women with children under the age of three have increased from 52 per cent to 58 per cent over the past three years.
The figures are contained in the CSO's gender report, Women and Men in Ireland 2006, published yesterday. Sociologists say the increase in Ireland's fertility rate is strongly linked to the economy and the abundance of jobs. The rate of children being born began to decline quickly during the 1980s and eventually hit a low of 1.85 per woman. However, the figure began to rise in parallel with economic growth.
New figures show older women are more likely to be employed than previously. The employment rate of females aged between 55 and 64 has almost doubled over the past decade, from 21 per cent to 40 per cent this year.
Dramatic social change is also evident in continuing changes to the traditional family unit.
The number of women living as lone parents almost doubled from 60,000 to 115,000 over the past decade. The number of men living as lone parents also increased from 8,400 to 10,600 over the same period.
While the number of women entering the workforce is increasing, the CSO report identifies significant discrepancies in wages and gender equality at senior levels in the workforce.
Women continue to earn less than men, although the pay gap is decreasing. The hourly earnings for women were 86 per cent that of men in 2004.
The proportion of women at risk of poverty was also higher than men, at 20 per cent and 18 per cent respectively. In areas of decision-making, women account for 14 per cent of TDs in the Dáil and less than 20 per cent of local authority members.
The under-representation of women is evident in other key areas of decision-making. In primary education, 84 per cent of primary teachers are women, although just 51 per cent are principals. Similarly, in the health service, some 80 per cent of all staff are women, while just 30 per cent are consultants.
At student level, there is a marked increase in the number of women entering third-level education while the number of men is beginning to fall off. This year almost 82 per cent of 18-year-old women were students, compared to 62 per cent of 18-year-old men.
A similar pattern is notable at graduate level. Women accounted for 57 per cent of graduates in 2004 compared to 43 per cent for men.
There were significant differences in the areas of study favoured by men and women. Women were more likely to be graduates in social sciences, business, law, arts and health. Men, on the other hand, were more likely to be graduates in science, engineering, manufacturing and construction.
In the area of crime, men account for some 92 per cent of people in jail last year. While the proportion of women in prison was just 8 per cent, research in 2002 suggests that the Republic has the highest proportion of female offenders in the EU.
IRISH WOMEN: What the figures show:
Teaching
A total of 84 per cent of primary teachers are women while just 51 per cent are principals
Crime
Just 8 per cent of people in jail in 2005 were women. Statistics for 2002 suggest Ireland has the highest ratio of female offenders in the EU
Income
Women's income in 2004 was around two-thirds of men's. When adjusted for difference in hours, women's earnings were 86 per cent of men's salaries
Politics
Women account for 14 per cent of TDs in the Dáil and less than 30 per cent of local authority members
Health
Some 80 per cent of all staff in the health service are women, while just 30 per cent are hospital consultants
Life expectancy
Women live to an average age of 81 years, five years longer than the average for men, according to 2003 figures
