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

I find the Government's amendment deeply insulting and I know I will not be the only one to find it so. I am glad the Minister read the entire amendment into the Dáil record because one would need to read it more than once to believe it. I will first comment on a number of statements made by the Minister in her speech. She initially acknowledged the "strange and stressful few months" for new mothers and went on to acknowledge that it has been extremely challenging. She said she thinks everyone in the House today can recognise this, but the Government clearly does not because it has proposed that three additional weeks of leave may be, possibly, brought in next year. That will do nothing for mothers today whose maternity leave is ending next week and who have nobody to look after their children. Where is such a mother supposed to put a six-month-old baby? Who is going to look after it? Grandparents cannot step in, while crèches are not taking babies under one year of age, and I have not heard anything from the Government on that matter.

The Minister went on to note the difficulties around the legislation, which were also mentioned by numerous other Deputies. That argument was also made when Sinn Féin repeatedly proposed a rent freeze, yet it could be brought in overnight through emergency legislation when Covid hit. Legislation is not an excuse. The Minister also mentioned the legal difficulties in identifying the relevant cohort to which the amendment would apply. We have done that for her. The cohort is in the motion. The Minister referred to difficulties in managing complex childcare. Again, the childcare is not there, though that is referenced in the amendment as well. Childcare is not available. That is the major problem, and again the Government's amendment does not address that or deal with it.

The Minister finished by saying she was sure Deputies would agree the Government's amendment was a more desirable outcome. Deputies do not think that, nor do I believe the National Women's Council of Ireland or the women who formed the #ExtendMaternityLeave2020 campaign group will either. Yesterday, it was widely reported that the proposed three weeks of additional leave would be included as part of the budget and would come in as part of that. It now turns out that it is not even committed to in the Government amendment. In fact, there is not a single commitment anywhere in the Government amendment. Three Ministers, three Departments and countless officials have been looking at this issue for a number of weeks now and this is all the Government has come up with. It says it will propose, examine and look at the budget, which is three months away, and even then there are no commitments for these mothers.

It has now been nearly five weeks since the petition of more than 25,000 signatures was presented to the then Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar. That petition is now quickly approaching 30,000 signatures. A commitment was made there and then that the proposal would be given careful consideration. Many took that as good news and an indication that mothers would be heard. However, when one looks at what the Government has brought forward tonight, it is as if the Government was looking at something completely different during those five weeks. There will be huge disappointment and increased worry and anxiety for mothers watching this debate and listening to what the Government is suggesting. Women who were on maternity leave during Covid-19 and members of the campaign group repeatedly emailed every single Deputy in this Chamber. They shared their personal stories, opened up about the difficulties they faced, and after waiting for a decision from this Government, this pathetic excuse for an amendment is all it can offer. That is simply not good enough and I again ask the Government to look at the speech that was made here tonight, to look at the amendment that has been brought forward and to reconsider its position.

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