Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his response. For the families involved in this campaign, public registration is a means of recognising their children. It is a relatively minor change in legislative terms but one that can have a major impact. The Minister of State indicated that the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, will look at the matter with a view to change, but perhaps not to the extent I am proposing. It is important to highlight that Féileacáin wants to give parents options for how they register their child, rather than there being a blanket approach. I ask that the Minister consider this suggestion. I implore her to begin the process of changing the law and giving families a system that better reflects their needs. It would be great if the Department would liaise with the voluntary organisations on the move to a changed system.

Given the Minister of State's portfolio, I want to raise a related matter that needs some consideration. Under social protection regulations, mothers of stillborn infants, that is, infants born after 24 weeks of pregnancy, are entitled to maternity leave and maternity benefit. However, those who suffer miscarriage or loss at under 24 weeks of pregnancy are not entitled to anything. This means that two families in similar circumstances may be treated very differently, depending on whether tragedy befell them a few days before or after the 24-week mark. While I understand that regulations sometimes requires a framework such as a sharp divide, the divide, in this instance, does not reflect the reality of pregnancy and infant loss. I urge the Minister of State to look at how this matter can be addressed.

The UK Department of Heath and Social Care committed recently to a strategy of halving the rate of stillbirths and neonatal deaths in England by 2025. Will the Minister of State ask his counterpart in the Department of Health to follow that example or look into what exactly is being done in the UK to achieve its target?

It is important to recognise the work of groups such as Féileacáin and the Miscarriage Association of Ireland, which do incredible work supporting families, as well as the Pregnancy Loss Research Group and the National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre in UCC, which provide vital research in this area.

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