Marie Sherlock (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I support amendment No. 4. I note my party's amendment No. 5 has been ruled out of order. I do not understand why given that it is, to all intents and purposes, the same as amendment No. 4. Nonetheless, my party will support amendment No. 4.

On the previous occasion, I said clearly that my party welcomes the introduction of domestic violence leave. All of us in this Chamber want it to work but we have to look at the details ensuring that it will work. As Senator Gavan and others said, Women's Aid, the women's council and the Fórsa trade union support it.

Women who have come to us have said that they have found themselves in this situation and that if they have to think twice about taking this leave, they will not take it.

I acknowledge something has been done in the Minister's amendments in terms of the criteria regarding the regulations but, frankly, it is tinkering around the edges. The one significant change is that the Minister is deleting "the state of the economy generally, the business environment and national competitiveness;" in amendment No. 7. At the end of the day the message that must go out from this Chamber is that if a woman or a man finds herself or himself in a domestic violence leave situation, she or he is afforded the protection that should be there with that leave and that she or he gets full pay.

This is a fantastic progressive move in terms of the introduction of domestic violence leave but it will not be worth the paper it is written if we do not get the detail right. We have to get the detail right. The right message has to go out from this House to a person considering taking this leave. The Minister should bear in mind that for those finding themselves in the situation, it will not be an overnight decision. People will have to think about this because usually they will have been in this situation for a period of time. If they have to think twice, they will not take it. We have to make life as easy as possible for those in domestic violence situations in the context of their workplace and ensure they get full pay.