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

I thank Deputy Kerrane for her contribution. We will have the opportunity to discuss the provisions of the Bill in depth tomorrow, in respect of the original two proposals which are, as we know, to introduce a right for women to defer maternity leave for up to a year if they become ill during their maternity leave and allow them recover for the particular serious illness they are facing but also allow them to enjoy the full benefit of their maternity leave. Second, it will provide for maternity leave for Oireachtas Members for the first time. It will also deal with the issues of non-disclosure agreements, putting tighter restrictions around their use in situations where there is harassment or sexual harassment and finally, cater for the preservation of private records.

In the context of the points made by Deputy Kerrane, under the mother and baby institutions payment scheme legislation there is a provision for a review after one year. That is quite a fulsome review looking at the levels of applications and of drawdowns and the reasons why people were refused. After that review is probably the best position from which to make a judgment as regards ambit. Deputy Kerrane made the point that in the seven months of the scheme there is a lower uptake than we expected. That is the case. It is still significant in that over 5,000 people have applied, over 1,500 people have received payments, €28 million has already been provided in direct payments and over 700 enhanced medical cards have been issued already under the scheme. Examining the issue at the point of the year review, which would be early in the new year, allowing that review to take place and looking at it then, gives us a more comprehensive understanding of the first year of the scheme and allows decisions to be made subsequently. I commend this motion to the House.

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