Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

This amendment would effectively grant an adopting father a minimum of eight weeks' additional adoptive leave and would be inconsistent with the leave provisions applicable to natural fathers in similar circumstances. In the context of its review, the maternity working group considered the periods of maternity leave available and made recommendations to increase both maternity leave and additional maternity leave by four weeks each. These increases were immediately implemented in March 2001 and were simultaneously applied to adoptive leave and additional adoptive leave. The increased leave provisions are also available to bereaved fathers in certain circumstances, depending on the date the adopting mother dies. However, the group made no recommendation to increase fathers' leave in the manner prescribed by Senator Tuffy and Senator McDowell. I am not prepared to accept an amendment which would provide in some circumstances a right to a significantly greater period of leave.

This matter has been the subject of a review group. This review group has emanated from and been conditioned by partnership talks, and I do not at this stage propose to unilaterally, to use Senator Walsh's phrase, get into Santa Claus mode and begin to add on extra bits which were not part of the balanced package agreed by the social partners.