Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. I appreciate the gesture. Deputy English is very kind.

It is important to thank Deputy Bacik for initiating this Bill and Senator Sherlock for leading it through the House. It is certainly an important Bill and I would hope that any obstacles that are in the way from the Minister of State's point of view will be looked at and taken out of the way. It is important that this proceeds and gets to the next Stage and is initiated.

For too long, there has been a taboo about speaking about miscarriage and reproductive healthcare. We need to open the conversation, we need to share the experiences and we need to be able to support, console and bring dignity and respect into this argument.

The physical and emotional trauma that women go through in their miscarriage journey is significant. That has to be recognised by Government and I have no doubt that it is. We need to put this leave in place. We must recognise the pain and the suffering that both infertility and miscarriage cause.

Senator Ardagh referenced earlier, and there has been some conversation around, IVF and the need to have State funding and continuity of care. That is important. One in six couples find themselves not being able to conceive naturally. If a couple do not have access to money it means they cannot attempt to have that much-longed for child. That is wrong. There needs to be equity of access. I believe it is really important the State brings that funding and that is what our Bill will attempt to do.