Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Martin for bringing the motion to the House this evening. I am delighted to be an elected representative when we do not have a divided House and we are all working together for one common goal. We are discussing the 4,500 premature babies born each year. Last Christmas, I was honoured to be invited by members of the Irish Premature Babies group to Lusk, where they launched their calendar. The reason they launched the calendar was to fundraise for breast pumps for premature babies because they do not have enough money. This is a conversation we could have with the Minister for Social Protection because with 4,500 premature babies born on an annual basis there is a shortage of approximately 100 breast pumps, which works out at approximately €25,000.

Aside from all of this, my connection with the subject is through my sister, who is a neonatal nurse. She trained to be specially involved in it and she speaks about babies who are born with half a heart and preterm babies, and the role and responsibilities of the medical profession. She speaks about the anguish, upset and devastation in parents' eyes because they are so helpless. The last thing they think of at that moment is the financial implication. The baby has been born and they are just delighted to have their little one, whom they are willing on. When we get down to what it is about, it is maternity leave. In some cases if a child is born at 27 weeks, by the time he or she goes home there might be only three weeks of leave left before going into unpaid leave. This is what the conversation is about and Fianna Fáil is delighted to support the motion before the House. We strongly believe in this and it is a conversation we need to have. More facts and figures need to be found out. We all agree that babies born at 37 weeks have proper lung function and are in a good position, as opposed to babies born at 23 weeks or 24 weeks. This is what the conversation needs to be about and we have to get behind these parents.

The real issue is with regard to the time after the baby is discharged. The presentation earlier in the Audio Visual room was very powerful. The consultant from Holles Street said a baby born four weeks early spends an extra four weeks in neonatal care and a baby born eight weeks early spends and extra eight weeks there. This is apart from any complications with regard to sight or hearing, and then we are into physiotherapy and continuous appointments. This is what feeds into a parent's time. Parents do not want to return to work without having done all of this caring themselves. There is not a mother in the country who will hand over the job with two weeks left on maternity leave. This does not happen. They will give up their jobs and walk away regardless, because their first and foremost call is to their child.

We as legislators need to acknowledge the role of parents with regard to preterm babies. The challenges facing them are unbelievable. As Deputy O'Loughlin stated, there are financial implications, but there is also the emotional drain on the family, such as the coping mechanisms of siblings. Some neonatal babies from Galway have to be brought to Holles Street to be looked after and families relocate. Mothers relocate and the fathers are left at home looking after the other members of the family. People do not disagree or argue with this, they are just happy their wee one is alive, but it is strain. There is an emotional strain and a financial strain. If we could remove one of these strains through maternity benefit it would be a huge step in the right direction.

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