Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move:

“That Dáil Éireann: notes that due to the public health emergency, parents of young babies find themselves facing particular challenges, and that there is an added difficulty in securing childcare for new children;

acknowledges:

—the #ExtendMaternityLeave2020 campaign established by mothers currently on maternity leave;

—the National Women’s Council of Ireland’s support of the campaign; and

—the 28,000 people who signed a petition in support of the campaign;

and calls on the Government to:

—address this matter urgently by introducing a temporary extension of maternity benefit from six to nine months for mothers whose maternity benefit claim expires between the start of March and end of November, if they wish to avail of it; and

—ensure this extension is reviewed at the end of November and continued for further mothers, if necessary.”

I am very proud to bring this motion forward as my very first motion in this House. Having a baby is one of the most exciting times in a person's life. I know this because just a few months ago I became an auntie for the first time. The joy my little nephew Tadhg has brought to all of our lives is something that is shared with every mother and parent behind this campaign.

I know what family support means to a mother, especially a new mother, when she has just had a baby. I also know that in the past few months many mothers have been robbed of that support. Nothing about maternity leave has been normal since Covid-19 hit in March. In the past few weeks and months, many of us in the Chamber have been contacted by numerous mothers who have asked us for help. They have reached out to us as public representatives. It is important that their stories are heard.

A woman who contacted me yesterday told me her husband is a doctor and not one crèche will take children aged under one year. Therefore, her husband will take all of his leave and they have no idea what will happen after that. Another mother told me that she had her fourth child the night all of the schools were closed. She said that, hand on heart, she has not had a chance to bond sufficiently with her newborn baby or to give the time that was needed to home schooling her other three children. She said she feels enormous guilt around this. She told me that her husband returned to work after two and a half weeks, leaving her with four children, sleep deprived and with absolutely no help.

Another mother told me her baby was born in mid-March and since then she has received just one check-up. Every developmental check has been cancelled due to Covid-9. She said she has never been checked following major surgery. This alone is extremely dangerous, but she said she is more worried about her baby and whether she is reaching milestones and doing well. She went on to say that she has no childcare in place and that nowhere she has contacted is taking new babies. She said that come September she does not know how she will be able to return to work. She has the option of taking additional leave, but it is unpaid and her mortgage and other bills will keep coming.

We know that many women have been forced to take unpaid leave and are struggling financially. Women have been forced to use their annual leave to give them a bit more time. Women have given up their jobs and are worried sick as their maternity leave end dates approach and they have no one to mind their babies. Crèches have closed their baby rooms and some are no longer taking babies aged under one year.

I telephoned four crèches in my constituency, Roscommon-Galway, yesterday. None of them is taking babies under the age of one. This is replicated across the State. Grandparents are no longer an option. Many of us, or our children, have been looked after by grandmothers. Going on yesterday's press conference following the Cabinet meeting, it appears that the Government's response to all of these mothers is to bring forward something that is totally irrelevant to the issue before us.

The Government's response to the mothers who have asked for its help is to re-announce a commitment around parental leave and dress it up as a solution. This is an insult to these mothers and their families. I am genuinely baffled at the response from the Government that was announced yesterday. I ask sincerely how announcing the possibility, as part of budget 2021, of bringing forward three weeks of additional parental leave has any impact or helps in any way any mother whose maternity leave ends next week and who has nowhere to look after their six-month old children.

I do not see how there has been any recognition of what these mothers are facing in what was announced yesterday. As the Minister with responsibility for children, disability, equality and integration, Deputy Roderic O'Gorman, said yesterday this is the Government's response to this Sinn Féin motion. It is also its response to every single mother who has had a baby over the past few months and has taken maternity leave in the midst of a global pandemic.

I commend the #ExtendMaternityLeave2020 campaign group which, despite having newborn babies at home, somehow managed to create, build and drive a national campaign on such an important issue. Those involved deserve huge credit. This day last week the Taoiseach told the Dáil that he would do right on this issue. What the Government is proposing in its amendment to the motion is not the right thing and I ask it to reconsider its position.

See this speech in context