Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Likewise, as I indicated on Committee Stage, I oppose this move to tax maternity benefit. In the various comments from the Minister and Government spokespersons when this issue was first highlighted, the defence put up was to suggest this was a significant anomaly where, if people were on maternity leave, they would end up with more than if they had stayed at work. The problem lies in the way that is put because, of course, when a woman is on maternity leave, she is at work. She is doing additional work, and it is additional work that benefits our society and our economy. Frankly, women are not sufficiently acknowledged for the role and contribution they make to our entire society and economy as a result of their role in bringing up children. We need more acknowledgement of that role and contribution, not less.

I have no problem with women who are on maternity leave getting a bonus for giving birth to children and rearing those children in their early weeks and months. Indeed, I believe all women should get such a bonus and they should be recognised for the additional work they are doing for the whole of society, particularly when they work and then have to play this role as well. I do not believe this is acceptable. It is a cruel, anti-woman, anti-family and anti-child cut. Even at this stage, the Minister should row back on it.

We have so often heard from the Government fine words about children and families, and the esteem in which the Government holds them, but we then see a measure such as this, which will penalise women and reduce a small extra acknowledgment of the important role they play in our society. I hope the Minister will row back on this, although he has indicated he will not.

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