Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I echo the call by Senator Ó Donnghaile for the Government to fulfil its promise to bring forward an amendment to the legislation making provision for domestic violence leave. When I was an MEP, I worked with others to get the first call for domestic violence leave approved at EU level. It is a really important provision to enable survivors of domestic violence to find alternative accommodation and attend court hearings and medical appointments. It is critical that such leave be treated as a normal salary adjustment, with no distinction between it and other types of leave. Anybody who understands coercive control knows coercive people will look at their partners' bank accounts and payslips and monitor every aspect of their daily life. It is vital that where people are availing of paid domestic violence leave, it does not show up in those documents, thereby putting them at further risk. It is really disappointing that the Minister has not brought forward the amendment on which we got a commitment at the weekend. I hope everybody in the House will support the amendment proposed by Senator Ó Donnghaile to the Order of Business to ensure Report and Final Stages of the Bill are not taken today.