Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time with colleagues.

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this very important motion, which proposes the extension of maternity leave and maternity benefit for mothers and babies who are born prematurely. I would like to acknowledge Deputy Catherine Martin for bringing it forward and for the presentation in the AV room today. I also acknowledge the Minister of State for saying that he will not oppose the motion.

Currently, not only do mothers of premature babies have to battle with the emotional trauma of living through the precarious situation of their newborn child, but also face the financial stress of having to take extra unpaid leave in order to spend the appropriate time with their baby. This may not always be possible in certain employments. We also know the parents of premature children often have huge difficulty in finding ways and means to stay with their babies in hospital after a birth due to a shortage of space or the high costs of accommodation required in order to remain near to them. That is very much the case in rural situations where people are primarily transferred to Dublin. We in Sinn Féin fully support the calls for an extension of maternity leave for the time a premature baby has had to spend in a neonatal unit receiving intensive medical attention. The time available for mother and child to spend at home afterwards is obviously shortened as a result.

It goes without saying that the trauma and pain that parents go through watching their newborn fight for survival is enormous. It is an incredibly difficult process, monitoring hour-by-hour if ones baby is going to pull through, and we cannot overstate the emotional impact of that on parents and other family members. In that context it would be wrong not to point out the other factors that play a huge part in compounding this stress. As mentioned, many parents must cover the costs of accommodation in order to remain near their baby while in treatment, with the addition of parking costs and expenses associated with that. Accommodation should be provided so that parents can stay with their baby while they are in hospital supporting their well-being. A very premature baby can spend weeks or months in intensive care before they are able to go home or be transferred back to their local hospital. Parents face the problem of no accommodation, and fathers are often separated at this critical point when their baby really needs the presence, touch and nourishment of their mother and father.

Last November the Minister for Health, along with the Irish neonatal health alliance, launched an online guide which outlines ten family centred care-giving activities that families can participate in when they have an infant in a neonatal intensive care unit, such as comfort holding, assisting with tube feeding and expressing breast milk in order to feed the baby. While that piece of work is welcome, what parents really need is practical and financial assistance. Currently, there are absolutely no allowances for parents of premature babies at State level. Organisations, such as Irish Premature Babies, do outstanding work on a voluntary basis for parents, fund-raising to assist with the costs that parents often have to incur. However, voluntary organisations cannot be expected to be the only support. Many people here are aware of the work of Irish Premature Babies. It has seen an increase in demand of 300% for its services last year, which is completely unsustainable. We know from the most recent statistics from the CSO that there are over 4,500 babies born prematurely ever year. That is one in every 14 births.

I fully support this motion. We are delighted to support it. I would like to remember my own baby nieces, Alana and Lynn, who unfortunately passed away at 23 weeks as a result of being premature. We really need to provide support and assistance to parents. We cannot overstate how difficult it is for people on an emotional level. We may be able to help out on a financial level and provide some assistance for them.

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