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THE LAW TO allow TDs and senators to take maternity leave of 26 weeks has been passed.
The issue came into sharp focus in 2020 when Justice Minister Helen McEntee announced she was expecting her first child and an ad-hoc arrangement had to be put in place to allow the minister take maternity leave.
At the time, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said it did not reflect well on a modern democracy that maternity leave could not be provided for female politicians.
However, no immediate legislative changes were made and another ad-hoc arrangement had to be put in place when McEntee was expecting her second child.
Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns, who is expecting her first child, criticised the government during the summer for not moving more quickly to legislate for female politicians stating that it was “truly incredible” that there was still no formal arrangement to allow TDs to take maternity leave.
TDs and Senators who lose their seat in an election while pregnant or on maternity leave will not be entitled to any payments, however. Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys told the Dáil: “If they are no longer members and they are still pregnant they will not get maternity benefit. That is the way it is. I will leave it there.”
Aside from maternity leave for politicians, the legislation will ensure women can defer their maternity leave by up to 52 weeks if they are suffering from a serious illness and need to take time to seek treatment has been passed.
Women undergoing treatment for cancer, or other serious illnesses, will now be allowed to pause their maternity leave and allow them to take their maternity leave when they are better.
The Irish Cancer Society, who launched the ‘Leave our Leave’ campaign two years ago has welcomed the news.
Around 60 women each year in Ireland go through cancer treatment during pregnancy or postpartum.
The campaign highlighted the discriminatory fact that men had the right to defer paternity leave if unwell, while women could not defer their maternity leave.
The legislation will also benefit many other women who fall seriously ill during, or just after pregnancy.
Equality Minister Roderic O’Gorman said today the small, simple change will have a big impact for so many women at a very challenging time in their lives.
“I am proud that Ireland will be one of the very few countries around the world to be providing this facility to pause maternity leave, and I want to thank the Irish Cancer Society, and those who have campaigned for this change,” he said.
Welcoming the legislation, Averil Power, CEO of the Irish Cancer Society said being diagnosed with cancer while pregnant or with a newborn baby is “devastating”.
“Until now, Irish law has also robbed them of their maternity leave,” she said.
“Now, women will be spared that heartbreak. Instead of spending their maternity leave receiving life-saving cancer treatment, they’ll be making precious memories with their babies,” she added.
Erica Tierney, a cancer survivor and Leave Our Leave campaigner said:
“It’s almost impossible to articulate the meaning of this change to families going through pregnancy and serious illness at the same time. When I was so sick and juggling chemo with being a new mam, discovering I couldn’t keep my maternity leave for when I felt better literally felt like another huge blow, in a time when what I needed was extra support,” she said.
Tierney said she is “beyond ecstatic” that this change is now a reality and no one going through cancer and pregnancy will have to endure the loss of their maternity leave.
The Bill will now go to the President to be signed into law.
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“Eamon Gilmore led us to our best General Election result in 2011.”,…indeed he did, built on lies & deceit.
You’d think SF would learn from Labour’s mistakes
Lesson for Enda “seismic shift” Kenny there as well John….
Not really – if FG can do this well administering the bitter medicine, they could do very well in 2016 if the economic upturn continues and they address the serious errors in a national fiscal correction policy that are harming the vulnerable.
People respect a party that can put the long term good far above their own popularity.
SF campaign build on cons and coffins.
The consequences of Prom Night will be revealed once the Bank Stress Tests are completed by the ECB. Then we can assess the effectiveness of this “brave” government and their bitter medicinal treatment.
The truth is that they took a bad situation and made it much worse – to the point where the debt problem has become so unsustainable that default is no longer an option, it’s a necessity.
Unsecured bond-holders were paid with cash this Government now has to borrow to keep the country afloat. That’s pretty much why we’re goosed.
I love the selective history you government supporters have. State was built on cons and coffins. Who shoot the state hero Michael Collins ? A Labour man. Civil war ? FG and FF killing people. People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones….
“if the economic upturn continues and they address the serious errors in a national fiscal correction policy that are harming the vulnerable.”
Yeah, and what better way to support the vulnerable by burdening them with charges, taxes, cutbacks in health services and patronising the general public.
“‘If John The Baptist was leading Labour, we wouldn’t have done any better’”
I’d be more concerned about Joan the Burton. You can practically hear the knife being sharpened…..
After what Fianna Fáil did, Hitler could have led Labour to victory in 2011 and he was a better speaker. If anything, they didn’t win because of Gilmore but in spite of him.
John the Baptist didn’t charge for the water…
Goodbye and Good Riddance
The present leaders of the Labour Party are a total disgrace shame on you all
Rabbitte living in the past and harking back to 2011 Any chance you could live in the present Pat – the here and now?
I dont like the Journals picture of ballot paper, especially the fact that SF’s Lynn Boylan got no.4 and not no.1!!
Nice to see that Hayes picked up no 11 though :-)
I don’t necessarily think its what he meant by it but the John the Baptist analogy is a pretty good one.
John the Baptist got his head cut off for the message he preached. Labour would do well to cut their head off and make some significant changes and not be so concerned with power and more concerned with the people.
TAXI FOR GILMORE
Better still, let him walk.
We are now about to see if Labour is actually a political party.
Normally one could expect to see the party members critically assess and change their leadership where there have been electoral disasters.
I don’t think that will happen here. The ehhh circumstances are different. For some reason.
Pension sunset …..
Justice for gingers!
John the Baptist rebelled
John the Baptist was beheaded
Jesus smiled.
John the Baptist would never have introduced water charges.
Pat Rabbitte is deadly at his funny little quips but at the back of it all he is as empty and mundane as the rest of his labour colleague sell outs
Totally agree. A comedian who excelled in the politics of no
After that remark I’d say Rabbitte has ordered a Pizza with extra cheese and Salomé.
Your right only half right there Jimbo – Labour will be no more after the next general election & deserve nothing but contempt for screwing over their core voter with gusto. John Gahan must be a spin doctor for the fascist party ! No amount of sugar coating will convince anyone that FG are a political party that gives a damn about ordinary people. They represent all that’s sickening about the political establishment in Ireland & they too deserve to be annihilated in the next election. Looking forward to that already.
Rabbittes “give up yer oul’ palaver” -type excoriation of the voting public will be the enduring memory of the John the Baptist interview for me.
To paraphrase;”Ye are very quick to tell us ye’ve had enough with austerity, property tax, water charges and cuts when the economy has been fixed”
“A cast iron rule that smaller coalition parties take the blame” Mr Rabbit? No if you had of stood by your socialist driven politics which got you elected then you would not be in this mess today. John the Baptist? do me a favour.
Except in Labours case it was Pontius Pilate and Nero running the party of the people…
at least Lorraine Higgins got what she wanted turkey was not sent to Europe ie Higgins 4% vote Ming 20% europe can rest easy knowing that turkey lorraine will still be in ireland also satisfying to know that Emer Costelloe looks like she will be spending more time at home…how will the costelloes cope been a one income family……
No Beemer for Emer?
was listening to rabbitt when he made that quote devoid of srcasm etc he can see the writing on the wall and it was satisfying to see the windbag deflated.taxi for gilmore,burton,howlin,quinn,,,,,
John the Baptist would have drowned them
If John the baptist was leading I wouldn’t have even given them my number 2!
John the Baptist would have got elected because unlike you he was not a compulsive liar
Gerry for Taoiseach
There is going to be no labour party after the next general election. Such is the stupidity of the electorate when it comes to punishing junior government partners.
Should punish Fine Girl as well, by leaving them off the ballot paper, Independents day.
Coming off the horrible presence of fianna fail in 2011 it wasn’t that hard to feed the people bullshit on his way to the best result for labour
Didnt John lose his head also. Bad comparison
John the baptist, I think Lazarus would be more the candidate.
What clown goes alll the way to preference 12? One & two is all I ever do
Champagne socialists
Joan Burton as his Salome??
have your say