Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to introduce the health (postponement of certain leave) Bill, colloquially known as the leave our leave Bill. I would like to have No. 10 taken before No. 1. The campaign for this Bill has been driven by the Irish Cancer Society and patient advocates like Erica Tierney. The Bill is supported by my colleagues in the Fianna Fáil group and I hope it will get cross-party support. Every year, more than 60 women receive a cancer diagnosis and commence treatment during their maternity leave. This Bill proposes a mechanism to postpone maternity leave for those receiving treatment after a cancer diagnosis. The statistics rarely change. Every year, we are failing 60 women with their new babies by not allowing them to postpone their maternity leave. It is an issue that needs to be addressed. We have addressed postponement of leave when it comes to the hospitalisation of premature babies and the associated leave for the mother, so it can be done.

As a former chair of the cross-party group on cancer, I have raised this issue with the Minister in this House, along with my colleagues and many others. In 2023, the Minister committed to legislation, but to date nothing has passed through this House. I note the Minister is now in the middle of a leadership campaign, but I hope that he considers this Bill urgently and allows it to pass this House and the Dáil. We know how precious the early days are as a new mum and cannot imagine how much harder that would be when going through treatment and possibly being separated from your baby for periods. I want to be a voice for these women.

I got an email from Erica Tierney, who is one of the primary advocates of the leave our leave campaign. She wrote an email to us all, stating:

Dear Senators,

I have been campaigning for this matter since the birth of my beautiful daughter Róise, who is now four, with the Irish Cancer Society. We know this issue affects 60 women a year and we have been promised reform since 2023. I am very anxious that another year does not pass without the reform so that mothers like me are not failed again each week that goes on and it really adds to the trauma.

I have cancer again and I am undergoing chemo again, but I have to keep campaigning on this because I cannot bear that it is still happening to other women. Please support the Bill passing through the Seanad and support it in the Dáil too.

Best wishes to you all and thank you for listening,

Erica

I personally want to thank Erica for being so brave. She is undergoing chemotherapy at the moment but she is not letting this go. Her fight continues. I commend her, from all of us.