Seanad debates

Tuesday, 2 December 2003

Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage.

 

Section 8 of the Bill implements in full the recommendations of the working group on breastfeeding. It provides that an employee who is breastfeeding and has informed her employer accordingly will be entitled for the purpose of breastfeeding to either breaks where facilities are provided or a reduction of working hours. The employer in each case decides whether breastfeeding breaks or a reduction in working hours will be available to the breastfeeding employee. Such time off work will attract payment as normal. Section 8 of the Bill is also consistent with Article 10 of the International Labour Convention on Maternity Protection which was adopted in Geneva in June 2000. Article 10 of the convention provides that a woman shall be provided with a right to one or more daily breaks or a daily reduction of hours worked to breastfeed her child.

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