Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Labour Party, and as a parent, I am very supportive and welcoming of the Bill. The Labour Party is delighted the Bill has cross-party support. It has been eagerly anticipated and it is a good thing that it is finally here. I can state without qualification that it is a good step to where we need to go in terms of how we approach parental leave and, as a State, respect the need newborn children have for the care of their parents. It will enable the State to allow parents, as much as it can and in as supportive a way as it can, to dedicate that precious time to their children. The provisions of the Bill which resolve the anomaly in respect of same-sex male parents are also most welcome. It is a wonderfully progressive step. I commend the Minister on bringing that forward.

However, a matter that needs to be examined is that one-parent families continue to remain outside the discussion in terms of how we deal with parental leave, maternity leave, paternity leave and the whole debate in that regard. They are still not brought into the tent as much as they ought to be or given the respect that is needed. My wife and I have one child and I know the challenges involved in being a parent and how difficult it is. I cannot even comprehend having to do it on my own or my wife having to do it on her own. The State still needs to play catch-up on that issue. It is to be hoped that in the not-too-distant future there will be more opportunities for Bills to address it.

I also wish to draw the attention of the Minister to the Organisation of Working Time (Reproductive Health Related Leave) Bill 2021 introduced by the Labour Party in the Seanad last week. It addresses the issue of reproductive leave for people who have had early-term miscarriages or are in need of IVF treatment. This is an area that has not been spoken about. One could even say it has been taboo. However, it is an area and an issue that impacts many parents and prospective parents. In the case of miscarriages, early or otherwise, there are emotional and physical tolls that are unquantifiable and that needs to be reflected in leave and legislation. I ask the Minister to look at that Bill. It is to be hoped that the Bill will be up for debate in the Seanad in the next couple of weeks and that we can see progress in that area.

As a result of the way in which society is structured at the moment and the culture that exists, many people have to delay starting a family in order to dedicate time to their careers. This particularly affects women. In order to further their career, they delay starting a family until they reach their mid-30s and that is leading to more people having to go down the IVF route. However, there is nothing in legislation to reflect that reality. I have difficulty even finding the right language to speak about this, so I hope I am capturing the issue correctly and striking the right tone because it is something on which we really need to focus. I refer to the work of Labour Party Dublin City Councillor Alison Gilliland and the Irish National Teachers Organisation on this issue. The Government really needs to look at that work and build on it because it is another area in which there is a gaping hole.

Overall, the family leave element of the Bill is positive and a good step forward. The Labour Party is very happy to support it. I am sure that when the Minister is looking across the House for Bills and amendments in the next couple of weeks, he will look at Senator Bacik's Organisation of Working Time (Reproductive Health Related Leave) Bill 2021 which deals with this area.

I refer to the unrelated amendments that were made to the Bill. I must put on record that it is bad legislative practice for this to have been done. I know the amendments came from the Minister for Justice, but there have been several justice Bills on the Clár of the Dáil in recent weeks. There has been ample opportunity to add the provisions contained in the amendments to a justice Bill rather than tacking them onto a family leave Bill such as this one. It raises questions and suspicions in respect of why this has happened. Everyone living in this country knows that we are being fleeced in terms of insurance. I know the amendments in question are technical but, ultimately, when we go downstream from them we are in the space of the insurance industry, the cost of insurance and how regular people are being fleeced week in, week out, year in, year out by the insurance industry.

In recent years, the insurance industry has called for many things, including the removal of the requirement for two senior counsel, the abolition of juries, the establishment of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board, PIAB, the Judicial Council Act and the change to the book of quantum. It has always said that if the next measure is brought in, premiums will go down. When that happens, it states that if the next measure is brought in, premiums will go down. Then the next measure is brought in and, again, there is another ask. What will the next ask be? Premiums are not going down. It is not just about motor insurance, house insurance and the very visible insurance premiums. People may not link the issue of insurance with the hidden costs they are paying. Why do we have the highest prices in Europe for concert tickets? It is because of insurance costs. It feeds into absolutely everything, including the cost of doing business, hiring people, work, building a home and everything else. It is an absolute cartel, and a cosy one at that.

Prior to this debate, we had statements on the EU and rights within the EU in advance of the European Council meeting. We have the Common Market and all the rest. We have benefited from it. If I wish to buy a Hoover, a fridge or another household appliance, I benefit from the Common Market. However, we do not have a common market when it comes to insurance. Why is that the case? It is because we have a cosy cartel that is running insurance and keeping costs high. Like many other Deputies, I have no faith that premiums will go down as a result of the change to the book of quantum and the Judicial Council Act because the insurance industry will find another ask of this Government or the next one. It must end. Pressure has been building. I commend Deputy Doherty on his work on this issue in recent years. I refer too to the work of the Labour Party and our finance spokesperson, Deputy Nash, on the issue.

The Central Bank has a role to play here. It is lauding itself or being lauded for standing up to stockbrokers. What about standing up to the insurance industry? Week in, week out and year in, year out insurance companies are getting away with fleecing the Irish people. It is an absolute scandal. I do not wish to have to speak on this issue in the context of the Bill. Insurance is not the responsibility of the Minister, who has brought forward great legislation that will help many people.

I will finish on that point because that is what the Minister deserves. I commend him on the Bill. I hope that we can build on it. It is very welcome and a big step. The Opposition always asks for more, but this is good legislation. I say "Well done" to the Minister. The Labour Party is happy to support the Bill.

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