Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I support this Bill. I am delighted to see it on the agenda and I give full credit to the Minister for bringing it forward. It is an ambitious and modernising Bill which addresses many of our societal failings as a country. It is only right that Part 2 rights so many of the wrongs done to adoptive parents. I will, however, raise some concerns, but before I do so, I welcome the elements in Part 8, which extends parental leave. This is extremely welcome and will give many parents the opportunity to spend those formative months, that most important time, with their young children, but issues clearly remain. How many people are still taking that leave? How many young fathers are taking paternity leave? How many parents of either gender are taking parental leave to its full extent? This is a challenge to those of us in this House. How many new or young parents in this House will take the full amount of leave available to them? Is it conducive to a modern career in politics?

Even though this Bill is aspirational and provides for this leave, there are still practical obstacles. Deputy Gould referred to the rate at which the benefit is paid, which is understandable, but how many employers actively encourage employees to take the full amount of parental leave available? Employers who stand in the way of this or who simply do not encourage it are absolutely missing a trick. Parents of any gender or persuasion who are able to spend as much time as possible with their children in those vitally important early months will be a more productive asset in the workforce and in society. We need to see these very welcome moves and extensions coupled with a real and dynamic campaign from Government, working with employers, trade unions and representative bodies, to ensure the leave is actually taken.

I will go back to the challenge faced in this House. How many party leaders or party Whips are insisting that Deputies and Senators take leave, rather than simply pointing out it is available if Members want to take it? This is in their interests as well as in the interests of Members and of politics as a whole.

The final concern I will raise is that I believe the Bill could have been a bit more ambitious. Believe it or not, I am going to agree with Deputy Gould for the second time, this time with regard to the rates for lone parents. While it is great that this Bill modernises provision for adoptive parents, in a number of years' time we will be back here looking again at the provision for lone parents.

See this speech in context