Emer Currie (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Minister of State. We really appreciate all the work he has put into this. He has made it and the Moorhead report a priority from the moment he took office. In that spirit, I thank the councillor representative groups – AILG and LAMA – and Women for Election, which do an excellent job.I see the Minister of State is very much supportive of their work with funding; and the working group of councillors and our own councillor, Lorraine Hall, for all the work that she has done. I congratulate the Minister, Deputy McEntee. I hope we can find a resolution for Ministers, Deputies and Senators.

What I like about this legislation is that it ensures that councillors are taken in under the Maternity Protection Act, that it is recognised as maternity leave and that the legislation is being amended with all the security of employment, and they are being treated like employees. The Local Government Act has been amended to remove the requirement for them to be subject to section 18(4A) or 18 (4B), so that they do not have to ask permission to go on maternity leave. The temporary absence piece of this has been introduced as well.

This legislation makes sure that the individual gets access to maternity leave, but the bigger picture is the impact it is going to have on women in politics, because we have a major issue with getting women onto the ballot paper. They are underrepresented. Our PR system is a competitive one, but it does mean that it is a very hard decision for any parent, especially women, that politics does come first. That is probably the biggest barrier for women going into politics. This legislation helps because it is the entitlement side of things but the Minister of State has also brought in the supports. That is what is making the meaningful difference in terms of the struggle to juggle, with the administrative support and the substitution. I will get on to my questions now, I am sorry.