David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Tánaiste and the Government as a whole, I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion. I congratulate Deputies Catherine Martin and Eamon Ryan for bringing this important motion before the House.

I have been a Member of the House for 20 years and I do not think that this matter has come up before in this format. Perhaps Deputy Penrose, who has been here for around the same time or longer, might agree with that.

I also thank Deputy Catherine Martin for the research she has done on this issue and the way in which she has presented the motion to the House. She will be pleased to know that the Government is not opposing the motion. The motion proposes the extension of maternity leave and maternity benefit for mothers of premature babies, and suggests consequential provisions in relation to paternity leave and other related matters.

I have a personal interest in this matter because I also was a premature baby and was not supposed to live.

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