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

I express my condolences to Victoria and the family and friends of Shane MacGowan on the sad news of his death today. We are thinking of all those who are affected.

Yesterday evening, an important Labour Party Bill passed Final Stage in the Seanad. Our reproductive leave Bill will provide paid time off work for women who lose a pregnancy early in the term, and for employees who access reproductive healthcare such as IVF. Earlier this week, we were all briefed by the pregnancy loss research group, which has conducted an extensive survey of workers' experiences of pregnancy loss. This study was commissioned by the Department of the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and provides useful data to inform next steps. It is instructive to know that this group received over 900 responses to its request for people to respond to the survey. This is a huge number. So many people, women in particular, have experienced such distress as a result of pregnancy loss early in term, and yet there is no statutory entitlement to paid leave in such circumstances. Will the Tánaiste allow the Bill that has now passed through the Seanad as a Labour Party initiative to pass through the Dáil in Government time? We are happy to work with the Tánaiste and his colleagues on bringing it forward.

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