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CABINET HAS APPROVED a scheme to allow county and city councillors to take paid maternity leave and will give them the choice to appoint an individual as a temporary substitute in their absence.
Currently female councillors are office-holders rather than employees and are not covered by the statutory framework for employees on issues such as maternity leave.
Today cabinet has approved of a legislative provision for female councillors to access maternity leave under the Maternity Protection Act 1994 by granting them the same rights as female employees.
The Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government and Planning, Peter Burke TD, welcomed the move today and said that it made politics more accessible to women.
“Today’s cabinet decision allows us to address a deficit which should not exist in a 21st century workplace, to provide full maternity leave for our councillors.”
“Our rate of female participation in both local and national government is shamefully low, and I believe this measure will remove another obstacle and allow us to make the role of a councillor more accessible to half of our population,” he said.
The maternity leave scheme was informed by an all-female working group established by Minister Burke last year made up of seven female councillors, nominated by the main political parties as well as an independent councillor.
“Councillors will soon have the choice to have an individual fill in for them while they are on leave. This would apply for all votes, all meetings and all elements of the role,” Burke continued.
“Previously, I was aware of situations where councillors felt pressure to turn up to important votes or debates, when they needed to be at home caring for a new baby. It is not credible maternity leave if you cannot fully switch off from your work.”
If a councillor does not want to have a substitute, but would like more administrative support, they will be given funding to hire someone to assist with secretarial work.
“We see many Oireachtas members starting off their political careers in local government so these measures will also have a positive effect on gender equality in our Dáil and Seanad Chambers,” Burke added.
Last year Minister for Justice Helen McEntee became the second serving minister to announce her pregnancy in the history of the State, and the first while holding Cabinet rank.
McEntee became a minister without a portfolio during six months of paid maternity leave, while Minister Heather Humphreys temporarily held her position due to a lack of existing framework for such a situation.
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Never in all the years I’ve been on medication for depression has it made me covertly film me having sex and then upload it to the internet. Depression doesn’t make one a sex offender so stop blaming it.
@DaisyChainsaw: just thinking that. Coward of a man.
@DaisyChainsaw: I have never had either so wouldn’t know. But regardless, it’s a fairly cruel act, he’s a very lucky boy to get off like that!
@DaisyChainsaw: He is not a sex offender!!! He has been convicted under s10 of the Non-fatal Offenses Against the Person Act 97, which is harassment. You have just defamed this person and The journal.ie has published this defamatory comment. As they take, and respond to, complaints they are acting as more than a mere conduit. Let’s hope they don’t get sued.
@Darren Gray: Don’t worry Darren – I’m guessing that whoever posted that comment has a whole heap of perfectly reasonable excuses to explain their actions.
@Darren Gray: Glad to see you’re on the side of the pervert Darren. Says a great deal about you. Not a word about the poor woman. He uploaded the video twice. He got lucky. Should have been jailed in my view. I hope she’s sues him and gets everything. Pathetic human being and you defend his “reputation”. You’re a disgrace.
@Darren Gray: I imagine that filming someone without their consent, engaging in sex with them presumably on the basis that it was not being filmed and then putting it out there for the world to see could arguably be considered sex offending.
@Noirin Kavanagh: It is not a offence that is covered by the Sex Offenders Act 2001. You do not get put on the sex offenders register. Saying that someone is a sex offender is a serious accusation, especially with the level of stigma that is attached. Of course if feel for the complaint but people have to be very careful when they comment about criminal justice, especially when they don’t know what they are talking about.
@John R: Well, if you think that I’m a disgrace, then you are a coward. If you are so sure of your convictions, why do you hide behind a fake profile?
“Defence counsel said the 26-year-old offers no excuse for his actions.”
After which, the defence counsel proceeded to give a large number of excuses for his actions. Also, the whole totally out of character thing could not be forgiven, seeing as he did it twice!
Disgusting crime. Can’t imagine the torment and shame this woman has experienced. Hope things improve for her.
He should be jailed. Disgusting act.
The fact that he uploaded it twice shows how malicious his actions were. Total lowlife!
@Yvonne Nic Gabhann: to be sure, to be sure.
“had a profound affect”? I think mean effect!
@Rui Firmino: God I love a nice bit of irony on a Thursday afternoon
@Rui Firmino: Not to mention “The victim…. wrote a letter to Judge Dermot Dempsey to explain the untold damage..” How can it be ‘untold’ if she has just told him?
The defense council would have you believe the victim was wrong for abusing a vulnerable adult.
Pathetic justice system
Bit of a dope
Hysteria always goes into overdrive on here. It was poor form and has been dealt with accordingly. If he does it again he should be dealt with in a harsher fashion.
@Flip off: He did it twice
@Flip off: “poor form”. Words elude me. I hope you don’t have a daughter, a wife or sisters. Poor form! Yours so up your own ass you should live there.
I’m sure that sentence has really taught him a lesson. Complete bull$hite. No deterrent for future tools.
Ha ha ha, only ten minutes? Scarleh for him!
Define Porn
@_doesnotcompute: it says sexual intercourse (f#cking) not hugs and kisses!
@Clare Maurer: Nope, try again
@Steve Hardy: When a man and a women love each other very much….
@Steve Hardy: Why do you require a definition of porn? Doesn’t say offender made “porn”. It states he uploaded a video onto a porn website.
@Clare Maurer: Didn’t realise I’ve been a porn star all these years!
That poor woman. You trust someone enough to literally let them inside your body and then they do something cruel and humiliating like that. Hope he feels 100 times what she must have felt now that everyone knows he’s such a creep.
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