Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I extend my congratulations to the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, on her lovely and exciting news this weekend. It is a very exciting time for her family and for us. We will travel along the journey of someone at Cabinet being pregnant. This raises the whole issue of the lack of maternity entitlement for particular parts of society. It is a great challenge. It is the first time that we have had to deal with this for a Minister but not the first time a Member of the Oireachtas has been pregnant, has been denied maternity leave and has had to rush back to the Oireachtas prematurely, having been denied that time with her child. I would welcome a debate on maternity leave, particularly for those who are not entitled to that precious time with their child and are excluded from the law.I seek a debate on maternity leave and those not entitled under the law to that precious time with their child because they are not employees. This includes a cohort of people who are self-employed within the legal profession. I know of a colleague who returned three days after giving birth. There is a necessity to rush back to work, thereby denying that precious six months with a child. In addition to self-employed people, Members of the Oireachtas, councillors and the parents of children in this country born via surrogacy have no maternity leave entitlement. They are not entitled to any benefits, support or precious time with their child. We need a full and wholesome debate on how change the laws to ensure they are child-centred, in accordance with the amendment of the Constitution. It is the right of the child to have time with a parent and the right of the parents to have that benefit at home.