Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State and I am really delighted to speak in support of the Bill. I commend Deputies Shortall and Catherine Murphy for their great work in bringing the Bill to this point. We all know that getting Private Members' legislation passed into law is not easy but it is an excellent example of how Opposition Members can push through real meaningful changes when we work on a cross-party basis. There was significant support for this Bill in the Dáil and I hope it receives the same level of support in the Seanad. The Seanad Civil Engagement group strongly supports the Bill being afforded time for debate and I am so glad to see that it is being facilitated today. I commend Senator Ardagh and the Fianna Fáil group for their work on this.

The change proposed in the Bill is relatively modest. We are talking about extending the amount of unpaid leave available to parents from 18 weeks to 26 weeks. This extra eight weeks can be taken up until the child is 12 years old, which means there is a good deal of flexibility too. This is really positive. It is not just about the initial weeks after a child is born but also giving parents the option of taking leave during a period in the child's life when it might be badly needed.

Similarly from my reading of the legislation and following on from the Dáil debates, parents will also have flexibility in how these days are taken. For example, it could suit someone to take Fridays off to be with his or her child and that the extra time available could be spread out on a one day a week basis or something similar.

When this Bill is passed, and I truly hope it will be passed quickly, it will be important for the Department to clarify to parents exactly how their entitlements work as there is already a lack of knowledge on this point. Since the Bill was first tabled in the Dáil many people have called my office to ask about it, which is a testament to the level of interest. Many of them are parents of young children and one can hear the excitement and what it will mean to them to have the extra time with their children. Those early years in particular are so precious and are so important in a child's development. Parents want to be there as much as possible when their children are growing up and as a Parliament we should be ensuring that the State helps to facilitate that.

In general this is also about the broader social change and what we want our society to look like. As productivity increases, we need to make sure that this means people have the chance to work less and spend more time with their families and on the things that they love. It is a broader point but a crucial one, that gains in productivity can mean greater profits but they can also mean a better work-life balance and a fairer society. Things such as a shorter working week and better parental leave are central to that. The State has a key role to play. The role of the State cannot be forgotten.

The issue of real paid parental leave was raised many times in the Dáil and it is still vitally important. Obviously Opposition Members are limited in terms of the changes they can propose in Private Members' Bills because of the cost to the Exchequer, so it means that this Bill can only go so far. It is a very positive step but still a limited one. We must be clear that unpaid leave is not a substitute for paid parental leave. The Deputies sponsoring the Bill have been very clear on this point. They are right. Ultimately many people simply cannot afford to take unpaid leave as much as they would love to spend more time with their children. It is so difficult for people to get by on two incomes, let alone one and people are under so much pressure to meet rising costs. Childcare is still incredibly expensive and it often means that people are better off not returning to work as it is simply not affordable if one does not have family members to help out. There is a socio-economic element to this that cannot be forgotten. I know the Government is committed to working on the issue and I remind it of that commitment and ask it to progress it as a matter of urgency.

I commend the Bill to the House. I am delighted to give it my full support.