Women still responsible for most housework in Ireland

Housework is still largely the preserve of women in Irish society, according to a study carried out by the Government's Economic and Social Research Institute.

The study of the domestic habits of 1,000 adults found that 81% of men involved did no cleaning work or laundry on weekdays, while 71% avoided all cooking or food preparation.

By contrast, almost 70% of women engaged in all of these activities on a daily basis.

The women involved in the research were found to spend five hours on caring or housework every weekday, compared to an average of one hour and 40 minutes for men.