Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I understand fully the distress this can cause parents, especially when they see their child is making progress and could make even more if he or she had greater support. On the issue of maternity leave, as a woman, I have a particular interest in it, but it is quite difficult to get people to act as a replacement on a short-term basis. People are seeking longer term contracts and unless this is exactly what one does all the time, people really do not wish to act as short-term replacements, which is understandable. In some areas a team of people have been put in place to clear backlogs and if the position becomes acute in County Longford, I will consider this option also.

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