Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

This makes no substantive change to the law. Section 22 of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003 provides for the amendment of Schedule 3, paragraph 5 of the Redundancy Payments Act 1967 to take account of the new rights to time off to attend antenatal classes and breastfeed. The proposed amendments to section 22 are necessary to ensure consistency with the new provisions contained in section 12 of the Redundancy Payments Act 2003, which was enacted in May 2003 after the publication of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003. The commencement of the provisions contained in this amendment are subject to the commencements of the relevant subsections of section 12 of the Redundancy Payments Act 2003. We are simply saying that, when it comes to calculating people's rights to redundancy payments, time spent on parental leave, at antenatal classes and breastfeeding is all accountable, something to which no one can object.

Amendment agreed to.

Section 22 deleted.

Sections 23 to 25, inclusive, agreed to.

TITLE.

Government amendment No. 67:

In page 3, line 7, after "ACT 1994" to insert ", TO AMEND THE REDUNDANCY PAYMENTS ACT 1967 AND THE UNFAIR DISMISSALS ACT 1977, TO REVOKE IN PART AND ENACT IN RESPECT OF CERTAIN PROCEEDINGS THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (BURDEN OF PROOF IN GENDER DISCRIMINATION CASES) REGULATIONS 2001 WHICH GAVE EFFECT TO COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 97/80/EC OF 15 DECEMBER 1997 ON THE BURDEN OF PROOF IN CASES OF DISCRIMINATION BASED ON SEX".

Amendment agreed to.

Long Title, as amended, agreed to.