Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The section deals with the maternity benefit issue and my party opposes the section. As I said and tried to convey to the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Hayes, here yesterday, nobody doubts the difficulty of the job that the Department has in trying to manage the loaves and fishes but there were clear options. The cut in maternity benefit was an unnecessary option in our view. The pressures that the recession places on women are clear and the income, far from financing luxuries or excesses, was vital for the additional demands of motherhood. I do not wish to delay the House because we all want to get through the various amendments and Senator Reilly also wishes to make a point.