Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for coming in. No doubt she will do a fantastic job. She already is doing so. There are many issues on women's health that have been brought up by all my esteemed colleagues here and I concur with many of them.

Knowing today was coming up, I spoke to a female doctor friend and I asked her what we can do in government to support women's health. I was surprised by the answer given. The answer simply was to support women, especially younger women, to work by providing childcare. I know it is not the Minister's brief but she will understand in a second. This, in turn, will change their health for the better. Access to childcare supports women to work, to exercise, to meet friends, to join groups and to play mothers and others football. It allows them to help their overall health by providing a means to do so. I recognise that it is a priority issue in the programme for Government, which I welcome.

That being said, I will add to that, taking a holistic approach to women's health in general. I am a mother to two beautiful girls. I became a mammy much later in life. I had my first daughter at 39 and my second at 40. Let us just say, it took me a while to get there with some medical help and losses. I share Senator Nicole Ryan's feelings there, but I am truly blessed. I like to think that I could be a role model for my girls, and it is one of the reasons I decided to run for politics. We all know it is not easy, particularly for women, to enter politics. Does the Minister know the questions I face on a daily basis? They are: "Who is looking after your kids while you are here? Are your kids missing you? and "Your kids are very young for you to be in politics?"? Yesterday, I got a spokesperson's role. I was delighted with myself. I got a text from a close friend, who I know meant well, but it read, "Delighted for you, make sure you still give time to your kids." While I was canvassing for the local elections, one person asked me who was minding my kids while I was canvassing. I hate that I am about to say this, because I do not want to separate us women from men, but would any of these people have asked the same question to men?

What I am putting forward for women's health is that we simply support women to be working mammies, if that is what they choose to be, do not judge them for it, try not to worry about their children, and instead tell them we are proud of them and we would imagine their kids are too. Trust me, their well-being will be much better for it.

To all my colleagues, whenever you find yourself doubting yourselves, remember how far you can go and how far you have come. Remember everything that you have faced, all the battles you have won and all the fears you have overcome. Sometimes you forget that you are awesome and this is simple a reminder.