Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to have the opportunity to speak on the Bill. I fully support this necessary legislation to provide for a period of paid leave upon miscarriage for the purposes of availing of reproductive healthcare. I was glad to see this Bill passed in the Seanad and was very disappointed to read the Government amendment to kick the can down the road instead of allowing for women, upon miscarriage, to have up to 20 days of paid leave, and allowing ten days leave for workers undergoing fertility treatment. I do not see any reason this Bill should not progress. Allowing sufficient time for the development of Government legislative proposals before the end of 2024 is not good enough.

Approximately 15,000 women miscarry in Ireland each year. By kicking this down the road, the Government is taking necessary grieving time away from thousands of women. The loss of a baby is often a very lonely and devastating experience. There is a huge sense of emotional loss and heartbreak for many of the 50 women who go through this each day, as well as many of their partners.

On top of having to experience this, they are then having to face the pressure of getting on as normal as though nothing has happened, at a time when many women need privacy and space. Fertility issues, whether they are to do with miscarriage or ongoing IVF treatment, require time and space, and people going through this should be afforded dignity and empathy. If this Government were serious about prioritising mental health, it would allow for legislation such as this to pass, as well as strengthening all types of bereavement leave.

As it stands, employees have no legal right to time off for bereavement and I would call on the Government to ensure that employees have a legal right to bereavement leave to ensure that miscarriages are included under this. Separately, those who are undergoing IVF treatment should be given the leave they require to undergo that treatment. Although I welcome the Government’s announcement that couples will have access to one publicly funded round of IVF, it does not make sense that they are not given the necessary leave to undergo this process. This needs to be reviewed, as does the decision to only provide this treatment to women under the age of 41 and with a particular BMI, as well as the decision to not provide this reproductive assistance to same-sex couples and single people and couples who cannot provide their own egg and sperm. We need to ensure that IVF is a viable option for people, especially given that approximately one in six heterosexual couples in Ireland has fertility problems. That is a statistic that has been increasing for some time and is expected to continue in this way.

The State needs to introduce legislation, but it cannot stop there. It needs then to give employers the support necessary to actually implement the legislation. I know that many employers in Donegal are struggling with increased costs at the moment, and it is the Government’s responsibility to alleviate those financial strains so that employers are in a position to properly look after their employees. At a time when it is impossible for people to get a mortgage on a single income, we need to at the very least make working easier for people, particularly women. In a year when we are looking at making Ireland and its Constitution more equal for women, making it difficult for women to work or stay at home, and almost impossible for them to both, which most are expected to do, is unacceptable. Women should be given choice and not forced into impossible roles.

To conclude, I would like to reiterate my support for this Bill and express my disappointment that the Government is refusing to progress it to the next Stage.

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