Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Last week, the Dáil debated the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022. It is welcome that it will be amended to provide for domestic violence leave, but the Labour Party is asking that it also be amended to provide for reproductive health-related leave. We introduced a Bill in the Seanad last year which would provide for paid leave of up to 20 days for women who suffer an early miscarriage and for up to ten days for those employees who need time off work to access treatments such as IVF. The Government did not oppose our Bill, but we want to see some urgency in the implementation of its measures. We are launching a campaign today calling on the Government to amend its Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022 to include our proposals, which would a have a huge impact for so many women and men across Ireland.

We have been contacted every week, by women in particular, asking when our Bill might become law and seeking to achieve more compassionate workplaces. I should give credit to Councillor Alison Gilliland, who led on this campaign through the INTO and the Teachers Union of Ireland, TUI. The TUI has done research showing how necessary it is to have this sort of provision whereby employees would have access to paid leave when they suffer an early miscarriage or need limited time off work to access reproductive health treatments like IVF.

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