Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

I doubt that I will speak for 30 minutes because, as Deputy English stated, Committee Stage of this Bill will be the important Stage.

There are many different kinds of families nowadays and considerable discussion is taking place at the All-Party Committee on the Constitution on the construction of families and how this should be determined. The Bills with which we have been dealing in conjunction with the Minister and the Department all concern the balance of work and family life, the economy, society and family.

We sometimes forget that clichés emerge from very obvious evidence. The cliché pertaining to the family is that it is the cornerstone of society — it is. I am not certain that the family is as it once was because the nature of family units is changing but recognising change and difference is good for society and broadens our attitudes. Given the publication of the Ferns report this week, a movement away from the type of society it depicted must be welcomed greatly.

The first time I was approached as a public representative on parental leave was five years ago. At that stage, I was asked about the exact position thereon, whether progress would be made and who would be entitled to such leave. As one might well imagine, the person who asked me was a very young mother. Since then, we have all been asking how many weeks' leave parents will be allowed, whether they will be paid and if a certain age range will apply.

It struck me in the past week or two, while I was awaiting the introduction of this Bill, that the mother in question now has a five-year-old daughter in school. She has manoeuvred her working life around that child and works five mornings per week, sometimes starting exceptionally early to finish before the child comes out of school. She does so without any State support, good, bad or indifferent. Summer time is a nightmare for her in that she must work to keep a roof over her head while her five-year-old is on holidays. During the summer holidays, not only does she juggle work and home life but she also must find some activity for the child. That is really what this legislation is about — it is about how we value society and, in doing so, ensure people can operate within it and be respected for the choices they make.

I note what Deputy English said regarding the Adoptive Leave Bill. It was proposed to change the Adoptive Leave Bill to include some of the elements of the Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004 but we were told this could not be done, although the latter Bill contains what we sought in the former. Those who are in the process of adoption or who have a child placed with them can actually avail of this legislation. It seems incredible that the same Department and draftsman could have produced the two Bills and yet not realise they were interconnected. As a result, the Adoptive Leave Bill was defective while the Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill is narrow and restrictive.

Ireland is not a poor country but the best performing economy in Europe.

See this speech in context