Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This is such a serious issue for expectant parents that it requires us to choose the terms we use very carefully, but the only word that comes to mind to describe the position is "bonkers". It is straight up bonkers that an expectant father can go for a pint in a dry pub with a €9 meal and will soon be able to go for a pint without a meal in a wet pub, but he cannot accompany his partner in the delivery room for the once-in-a-lifetime experience of bringing a new baby into the world. It is straight up bonkers that the Government has decided it is more important for an expectant father to be able to wet his baby's head than to see his baby's head at the time of birth. The child is not born in an instant. A child comes into the world over a series of hours and, in that series of hours, the mother experiences incredible labour pains for which she needs comfort and support.

I have heard from women who have received terrible news while attending maternity appointments. One can imagine how isolating and upsetting it is not to have the comfort and support of one's partner at such times. I spoke to many parents over the past few weeks and bravo to them because they have certainly brought this issue front and centre.

During a delivery a baby is born and so too a mam and a dad. The expectant father is every bit as much a parent to the child as the delivering mother. He must, therefore, be able to attend the birth of his child following which the man, dad and baby become a family. By attending, I do not mean just being present. I mean in the sense of attending to his partner and their new baby.

The parents I have spoken to know that in prioritising access to pubs over access to the delivery room, the Government is presiding over a farce. I do not believe we should be waiting for an expectant parent to challenge us on the basis of equality.

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