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

Will the Government commit to introducing a right to paid leave for early miscarriage and reproductive health-related reasons? In 2021, the Labour Party introduced the Organisation of Working Time (Reproductive Health Related Leave) Bill in the Seanad. If passed, it would allow a woman who experienced an early miscarriage leave from the workplace of up to 20 days and up to ten days of paid leave to any employee who needed time off work to undergo IVF or other reproductive healthcare treatments. The Government assured us in the Seanad that it would co-operate with us on seeing the Bill pass. Eighteen months on, though, we have not seen any progress.

On Tuesday, my colleague, Deputy Sherlock, tabled an amendment to the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022 to provide for this issue at no cost to the Exchequer, but it was disallowed. The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, indicated that research into this issue was under way at UCC, but I am hearing every day from women and couples who are experiencing the trauma and grief of early miscarriage and pregnancy loss and of having to take significant time off work for IVF treatment. Can we see a Government commitment to introducing legislation?

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