Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The purpose of this Bill, we are told in the explanatory memorandum, is to give further effect to Directive 2019/1158 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on work-life balance for parents and carers and repealing Council Directive 2010/18/EU and, for that purpose, to amend the Parental Leave Act 1998 to entitle certain employees to leave for medical care purposes and to request flexible working arrangements for caring purposes. That all sounds nice and dandy and reasonable.

In the first instance, I always say that in my experience as an employer, both in my family business but also of staff working for me in the Oireachtas, we try and look after our staff. My staff are mainly female. They are excellent staff.

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