Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This motion is enormously important to thousands of mothers and families throughout the State, as the Minister acknowledged. I also acknowledge the work done by the National Women's Council of Ireland and the group campaigning to extend maternity leave in 2020. I further acknowledge Deputy Kerrane for bringing the motion before the House.

We are only talking about 12 weeks, or 60 working days. This would help the likes of Lauren, who finished her maternity leave on 31 May. She has 16 weeks of extended leave. She has zero income and is building a house. She has no crèche facility. That is the type of predicament these mothers are in. I have spoken with dozens of mothers who are distressed and under financial pressure because of the situations in which they find themselves. The Minister stated that retrospective legislation is extremely rare but so are pandemics. During what should be the happiest time of their lives and when they should be enjoying their new babies, these mothers are left feeling isolated and uncared for. Mothers have described to me how they could not go for walks with their babies and how they have been up all night caring for their babies before trying to home-school their other children. They have told me how they have no childcare for their other children and face uncertainty as regards crèches. They have told me how they could not even accept the help of their own mothers or siblings due to the lockdown and how they worried because they could not get their children to the baby clinic for injections.

The Sinn Féin motion allows us to make good this situation. It just gives these mothers an extra 60 days to spend quality time with their babies. It would mean that mothers would not be forced to give up their jobs or to take unpaid annual leave which would compound the financial stress many families are experiencing. It is time to give these mothers and families the break they need. We should do so now, not after the budget.

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