Editing Jack Lynch (section)

===Social change===

A number of social initiatives were carried out during Lynch's two periods as Taoiseach, including the introduction of Occupational Injuries Benefit, Retirement Pension, and Deserted Wife's Allowance, and an increase in the single earner's unemployment replacement rate.<ref>Ideologues, Partisans, and Loyalists Ministers and Policymaking in Parliamentary Cabinets By Despina Alexiadou, 2016, P.181</ref> In 1967, a redundancy payments scheme was introduced, and in 1970, various improvements in welfare provision for women were introduced. Maternity insurance was extended to all female employees, a social insurance benefit for deserted wives was introduced, a means-tested allowance for unmarried mothers was established, and an earnings-related component was added to the basic flat-rate maternity benefit.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GaWtd5zJfB8C&q=growth+to+limits+ireland+old+age+pension+insurance+for+all+manual+wage+earners&pg=PA248|title=Growth to Limits: The Western European Welfare States Since World War II|first=Peter|last=Flora|date=2 November 1986|publisher=Walter de Gruyter|isbn=9783110111316|access-date=2 November 2017|via=Google Books|archive-date=29 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429151053/https://books.google.com/books?id=GaWtd5zJfB8C&q=growth+to+limits+ireland+old+age+pension+insurance+for+all+manual+wage+earners&pg=PA248|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1967, free secondary education was introduced, together with free transport to school "for those living more than three miles from the nearest school". In 1972, entitlement to free travel on public transport was introduced for all persons of pensionable age, while people eligible for free hospital care became entitled to prescription drug reimbursement over a certain amount each month.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GaWtd5zJfB8C&q=growth+to+limits+free+secondary+education+became+available+in+1967%2C+along+with&pg=PA275|title=Growth to Limits: The Western European Welfare States Since World War II|first=Peter|last=Flora|date=2 November 1986|publisher=Walter de Gruyter|isbn=9783110111316|access-date=2 November 2017|via=Google Books|archive-date=22 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210922193549/https://books.google.com/books?id=GaWtd5zJfB8C&q=growth+to+limits+free+secondary+education+became+available+in+1967%2C+along+with&pg=PA275|url-status=live}}</ref>