Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach's response indicates the huge amount of work that is still to be done yet on the issue of equal pay for work of equal value. I wish to raise a related matter with the Taoiseach, if I can. It is the domestic violence leave reduced rate of pay provision that is contained within the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022. The legislation, as the Taoiseach knows, enables the Minister to make regulations to prescribe "the daily rate of domestic violence leave pay". The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, has indicated he is considering pay parity with sick pay as against full pay. Applying a reduced pay rate in this instance is just wrong. Women's Aid strongly believes domestic violence leave should instead be paid in full at a person's normal rate of pay, and I agree with that.

The Taoiseach himself has acknowledged we are experiencing an epidemic of domestic violence and violence against women in particular. Penalising victims of domestic violence with a cut of up to 30% in their pay will cause immense hardship and, worse again, will potentially be a safety risk because, where a victim's payslips or bank accounts are monitored, any change in pay will alert an abuser that she has not attended work as usual. This level of control is more prevalent than we might imagine and should not be dismissed by the Minister. I am asking, therefore, that we follow international best practice from places like New Zealand, Italy and Australia and have domestic violence pay leave be paid in full. Will the Taoiseach intervene on this matter?

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