Mary White (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I do, it is about the Parental Leave Bill 2013. I call on the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, to update us on the progress made on that legislation. The Leader is attentively listening and writing down what I am saying, which is great. I first introduced the Bill in July 2013 as part of a series of innovative initiatives contained in a Fianna Fáil policy paper promoting women entrepreneurs in Ireland. I am alarmed at the casual progress made on the Bill to date. Its purpose is to provide fathers with the opportunity to share the maternity leave allocation of 26 weeks from the workplace if the mother wishes to do so. Such flexibility in the workplace with maternity leave would give fathers a more active role in caring for the child while also providing women entrepreneurs with the opportunity to devote more time to developing and growing businesses and, subsequently, creating what we need most in Ireland, namely, employment. Everyone in the room knows that the responsibility to raise young children rests almost entirely with women. Currently, two and half times more men than women create businesses. The only way to create jobs is to encourage enterprise but we cannot do this if we are failing to use the brains and skills of half the population of the country, the women of Ireland.