Margaret Cox (Fianna Fail)

Next Tuesday, subject to the agreement of the Whips. I said on the first amendment that it was indicative of the Minister's commitment to this area and the whole equality agenda that he took on board the issues we raised with him regarding the points made here on Second Stage. However, I am still very concerned about the issue of maternity rights for Members of the Oireachtas and local authorities. We have not come to terms with the issue of providing for the Members of this House the right to be absent herefrom during the period of the maternity confinement, either for the mothers having the babies or for the fathers whose wives or partners might have babies who do not live. If I allow this opportunity to pass, I give up all the reasons for which I thought it important to have women here. One can see the changes that we have made to the legislation today and those made to previous legislation that affects the rights of women, children and many other issues where the contributions of female Oireachtas Members were extremely important.

I once again appeal to the Minister. Perhaps this legislation is not the right vehicle, but I ask him to put this matter on his equality agenda so that, by the time this session finishes, we may have some sort of recognition that the women of this House – the mothers and would-be mothers – have an entitlement to take the appropriate time off just like every other woman in this State without losing out on anything by doing so, and without the Government or Opposition losing out either. If we do not reflect that at some stage in how we treat Members of the Oireachtas and the duly elected people who come before us, we fail ourselves and the Constitution and do not protect women. We are entitled to protection in the same way as every other woman in this country.