Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

My experience in my previous life included being a workplace representative. That is the perspective from which we came to this issue. This legislation is an amendment to the Organisation of Working Time Act. Deputy Bacik has similar legislation. This legislation is intended to be there as an addition to leave that exists already. One of the things that does is to bring the conversation from the margins into the centre, which is important because it is a workplace issue. This issue nearly always affects women. If a woman is experiencing domestic abuse, she might come into work and be met with a question from a colleague about what she did at the weekend which she does want not to answer because the weekend was hell and she does not want to refer to it. The colleague asks her again the next week, the week after and the week after that. Eventually, the colleague stops asking because the woman does not respond but everyone in the office or workplace knows there is an issue. We are seeking to put this leave in with other forms of leave. There is no shame in taking parental leave and there should be no shame in taking this leave.

Our intention was to house this leave along with other forms of leave that are taken as a matter of course in the normal working year. The hope is that we would give people the language to not be afraid to talk about it. I have experience of this as a politician, as has Deputy Ward, and I had experience in my previous life. People want to help but they do not know how to do so. This is a practical way to help and it is not separate, different or over there in another corner. It is a part of the leave arrangement. It allows us to tell people they have an entitlement to this leave. This is not a grace and favour arrangement. I am not offering to go to the boss and tell him or her that X is having a bit of trouble at home. This is people's entitlement and it is in the leave folder along with all the other forms of leave. That will avoid any addition to the stigma, shame and marginalisation that someone might be feeling in any event.