Regina Doherty (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I support this Bill in all its shape and form. We might not get to speak to all of the amendments or sections today, but I very much support the Bill. I say that against the backdrop of what the country has been speaking about for the past week, that is, the need for societal change in how we treat women in every aspect of their lives. I accept that in a small number of cases this relates to men as well.

We talk about issues such as losing babies and women taking sick leave following such loss in the shadows, but when this happens women are not sick; they are bereaved and grieving. We speak in hushed tones about IVF and women and men going for fertility treatment and IVF courses, which are hugely expensive and should absolutely be supported by the State. We do so because it is nearly not normal. We have a Constitution and a society that is based on the foundation of the family because we value the family so much. However, in so many aspects of Irish life, 50% of our families are disregarded. We are downgraded. We are not respected by the roles that the State provides, the services and the agencies that the State provides and the way the State treats us. That happens in so many ways. It starts with our primary school teachers, the vast majority of whom are women. If we were really clear and careful about showing our children what equality looks like we would make sure that we have in our primary schools the same number of male teachers as we have female teachers. In all of what are known as the caring professions the stereotype in every aspect of Irish society is misguided and wrong and always downgrades the female experience.

I do not mean to be disrespectful to Government. I know that not everything can come at the same time and all at once. I welcome that there is a willingness to do this and that the research needs to be done, but six months on from the introduction of this Bill, we are still dealing with it. It is not rocket science. It is just a little right such that when a woman loses a baby, a much loved member of a family, or is trying to create one, there is a little bit of respect and dignity in that process.

The amendments that I wanted to push today are related to a different matter. They are about women who experience loss, but the baby loss does not quite make the definition of stillbirth. While it might not meet the grams required by the WHO to reach that standard or the days in terms of pregnancy, it does not make the loss any less. There are women and men in this country whose babies are not recognised by the State because they were a couple of grams off or a couple of days off. There is one such baby in my county. It is not good enough.

We do this on the basis that it will interfere with other laws or other services. We need to treat people and families with dignity and respect. We need to shake ourselves. We need major societal change. We need to ensure we do not treat 51% of the population of this country with any less regard, support, dignity, practice and laws that they need to enable them to be the fulfilled people that we should have in society. We should hang our heads in shame because the Constitution, which we cherish, is only words when the actions behind it are not brought to bear.