Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. As a parent, I welcome any extension in parental leave or maternity leave, although my children are probably past that stage. We did see a number of very genuine calls during the Covid pandemic for an extension, perhaps even a once-off emergency extension to maternity leave, for very valid reasons. People were trying to juggle childcare or get back to work during the pandemic and people felt robbed of certain time in the early years, particularly with extended family. It would have been fantastic if this had been introduced immediately after the budget. I seek clarification on several points. Is the Minister stating he hopes it might be able to be introduced in January and dealt with retrospectively? Perhaps I understood this incorrectly. I have another question that I will ask later.

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