Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will be brief. This measure is far from fair. There are other options the Minister should consider to save €40 million and which have been presented to him by our party and others. He referred to the period of 26 weeks paid leave, but I point out to him that if this section was not enacted, women to whom I referred on maternity leave after 1 July this year would be the beneficiaries of €2,792. He has reduced their paid maternity leave from 26 weeks to 15. Instead of being paid €262 a week for 26 weeks, maternity benefit will be paid for 15 weeks. This is far from fair. I know I have to be brief, but we have made our point and I oppose the section, as there are other ways to save €40 million.

This benefit is also for the newborn child who depends on his or her mother for everything. The benefit should be universal. There are some things in life that should be available to everybody, regardless of income, although I acknowledge this may throw up anomalies. Sinn Féin does not believe in the taxation of child benefit, even for the super-wealthy; rather, it believes they should pay their appropriate part in direct taxation. That is the best way to deal with this issue. Maternity benefit is particular to women and we have been given an insight into the lack of their influence at Cabinet level by the fact that this proposal has made it this far.

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