Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

I do not agree with that proposition. The purpose of the Bill is simple. It is to give adoptive parents the same amount of time to bond with their child as natural parents have for their children. The two extra weeks to which we referred is not bonding time. They were given as a health and safety measure in the context of employment. The health and safety consideration simply does not exist for adoptive parents and before equality becomes a religion, we have to work out whether we are talking about equal or analogous situations.