Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The process is set out in section 7 of the Bill. There is consultation, following which the Minister makes a determination on the rate, bearing in mind various criteria and amendments to the criteria we have just discussed. Another criterion is examining international comparisons. Deputy Sherlock referenced several international comparisons but there are not many because Ireland will be one of the first countries, certainly in Europe, to introduce paid domestic violence leave, which is to be welcomed. The issue of paid leave for victims of domestic violence has been discussed for almost as long as I have been in this House.

We had a Private Members' Bill a number of years ago about it. We have always recognised the reason we are doing this is that the victims of domestic violence are those who are most at risk of poverty. That is the central reason we are moving this. I am very cognisant of that, with regard to making a decision that would somehow mitigate against achieving the central goal, which is to try, to some extent, to avoid the risk of victims of domestic violence being more at risk of poverty by having to take unpaid leave to deal with the outcomes of their suffering domestic violence.

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