Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies for bringing the Bill to the House. It is one Sinn Féin is happy to support. I note the opposition of the Government and the absence of the Minister. I do not mean that in a disrespectful way to the Minister of State, but it is a pity that the Minister saw fit to launch a broadside against the legislation in a negative way. As one Deputy said, there is the opportunity to amend and work together. The premise on which the Bill is being brought forward is a good one. I had a little chuckle when the Minister claimed to be protecting women from unscrupulous employers because that is why we have trade unions.

It is rare to hear a Deputy from that quarter do anything other than defend unscrupulous employers. Women do not need to be protected in that way, however. Families do not scream out for that level of protection and they will not be touched or convinced by the Minister's words.

We believe it is not before time that this is on the agenda. I am happy to debate it today but it is overdue. The introduction of shared leave is a step that many parents will welcome, as will people who live in the real world and defend themselves against unscrupulous employers by joining trade unions to defend their interests. We have moved away from the Ireland of old that was forged by the conservative counter-revolution in the early years of the Free State and which destroyed ideals of equality and equal opportunities. What they gave us was a crushingly theological and conservative State, which told us a woman's place was in the home. We are due a referendum on that archaic clause in the new year and that cannot come quickly enough.

That referendum is one of many signs that our society is moving on. Nevertheless, there are a multitude of issues which linger on in law or which are not provided for. As a result, women must fight to see them rectified. The Bill seeks to address one of these issues, namely, maternity leave. Not only has the construction of families changed in recent times but so too has the nature of raising children. Partners now play a pivotal role in the upbringing of their children and the passing of the Bill would be a reflection of that fact.

My experience of maternity leave happened a long time ago. It was not today or yesterday but I think I was allowed ten weeks. I was a student in college when I availed of the leave and I went back to college when my daughter was three weeks old. It would have been helpful for us as a small family to be able to share the leave because we had to share the parenting. The Minister expressed a grave concern for the breast-feeding mothers of Ireland but that can be managed and there are facilities to ensure this. If I was able to manage it 20-odd years ago when such facilities were not in place, women will be able to manage it now. The concern for breast-feeding mothers was something of a ruse. I do not believe that is why the Government opposes the legislation.

The first year of a child's life is crucial in his or her development and parents should be able to spend as much time as possible with their newborn children, having been given space and time to bond. Figures released by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection show that approximately 51,000 fathers were awarded leave since the scheme began in 2016, with almost 2,000 taking paternity leave every month. I use the word "fathers" rather than "daddies" because we should stick to "mothers and fathers" rather than "mummies and daddies", as I heard being said earlier.

The entitlement in both the Six Counties and the Twenty-six Counties is considerably less than what is available to workers elsewhere in Europe. Ireland was identified as an example of worst practice in parental leave rights in the European Union. It lags far behind other member states for maternity leave, paternity leave and parental leave. Sinn Féin strongly supports the introduction of statutory rights for flexible working arrangements, which can play a role in enabling workers to balance work with family and other responsibilities, thereby significantly enhancing a worker's quality of life. Although the situation has improved for prospective parents over the past few years, there is more to do. As was mentioned, this is evidenced by the fact that we all know of young women who go to job interviews and feel obliged to play down the prospects of taking maternity leave. In truth, if it was a man or woman in the position, with equal chances of availing of parental leave, there would be a level playing field and it would ensure the appointment was made on merit. There would be no disadvantage for women, who might be seen as being more likely to take the leave.

The 26 weeks of paid maternity leave to which new mothers in this State are entitled is paid at a low, flat rate. It is one of the lowest levels of payment in the European Union. The sum of €230 per week for mothers to remain at home is simply not enough, although I acknowledge that when I availed of it, it was only IR£77. That was a long time ago, however, and I suppose some progress has been made. We need to consider substantially increasing this payment if we are to be seen as taking the concerns of new parents seriously and supporting them in the formative years of their children's lives.

It would be remiss of me not to use this opportunity to mention a group of people whose access to shared maternity leave could be hampered because of the Government's failure to address their situation. Same-sex couples who have conceived a child through surrogacy or donor assistance are at a distinct disadvantage because only one parent is allowed on the birth certificate, leaving the other without legal protections because Parts 2, 3 and 9 of the Children and Families Relationships Act 2015 have not been implemented. That historic legislation, which complemented the referendum for civil marriage equality, gave rights to same-sex parents for their family formation to be recognised and protected. Three and a half years later, the families have started and the couples have conceived, but the legislation still has not been fully implemented and does not deliver for the couples in that regard.

I thank the Deputies for bringing forward this legislation. We are happy to support it and engage on the process, which is what people wanted to hear from the Minister. Her response of crocodile tears for women treated badly in the workplace and her campaign on behalf of breast-feeding mothers are somewhat misguided. The intention of the legislation is clear and its purpose is not to do what the Minister outlined. Sinn Féin is happy to support the Bill and to work with all parties in the House to ensure the tabling of any necessary amendments, which, as indicated, will be received gratefully. I remind Deputies that we have until next Thursday. This is good legislation and, if it can be approved, we should pass it. The intent is clear and I urge everybody to come on board and support it.

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