Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Government accepts that the principles of the Bill deserve further consideration. To reiterate the point made earlier, none of us wants to introduce measures that will have a negative impact on families, and the Government believes that the best way to proceed would be to undertake a consultation process following the implementation of our new paid parental leave scheme. This will enable the Government to ascertain precisely what is needed to support women, including those in insurable and self-employment, to reconcile care for their newborn children with the demands of returning to work.

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