Margaret Cox (Fianna Fail)

It is important to recognise that as the Minister of State said:

This is the largest social welfare package in the history of the State at €1.41 billion, announced in last December's budget. This substantial investment brings total expenditure on social welfare this year to €15.3 billion, or almost €1 for every €3 of current Government expenditure.

One of the great things about being in our present situation is that it gives us an opportunity to look at not only the operational detail as we deliver this money but also the vision of what we want the social welfare system to do and its purpose.

I have a strong concern about section 6 amending the principal Act:

(b) by substituting the following section for section 50:

50.—Regulations may provide for disqualifying a woman for receiving maternity benefit where—

(a) during the period for which the benefit is payable, she engages in any form of insurable employment, insurable (occupational injuries) employment, insurable self-employment[.]

I may be interpreting the section incorrectly. I need clarification on this point. A woman may have two part-time jobs in one of which she is entitled to maternity benefit, but she may not be able to give up the second job for the full amount of maternity leave to which she is entitled from her first job. Are we are now saying that if a woman is entitled to maternity leave from one job, she cannot avail of it if, by choice, she continues to work in a second job?