Evanne Ní Chuilinn (Fine Gael)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. Tá muid fíorbhuíoch go bhfuil sé anseo chun an t-ábhar ríthábhachtach seo a phlé. I join my colleagues in commending Senator Ryan on her work on this Bill and for the courage of her convictions that she has taken with this matter and other deeply sensitive and personal issues. It is not an easy thing to do to speak out publicly about something so private and past trauma and pain. I put on the record my appreciation for the Senator's willingness to be a voice and an advocate for herself and our communities.

This is a very sensitive discussion. We have heard from, and will continue to hear, from colleagues across the House about their own personal experience of pregnancy and infant loss. Again, this openness is to be acknowledged. I also believe, though, that these stories show just how many people in Ireland are affected by this kind of grief and tragedy. The World Health Organization, and other organisations, tell us one in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage, for example. The very nature of a miscarriage before 12 weeks, though, is that it is shrouded in secrecy. Many women lose babies in the privacy of their own homes, pregnancies they may not even have shared news of with their families. I know at least one woman in my life who has lost two pregnancies and not one other soul knows about it. This means healthcare facilities were not informed, and so her losses do not form part of the one in four pregnancy statistic. How many deeply private individuals are there out there who have suffered multiple losses and not reported them to anyone? I firmly believe the statistics we hear are incorrect. They are, of course, gathered and reported in good faith. Due to the nature of these losses, however, I believe the one in four figure we hear to be a misrepresentation.

I wish to speak today on behalf of all the men and women who have suffered pregnancy and infant loss and who have not been able or have not felt able to tell anybody, those who have been in such a vulnerable place to begin with that the loss of a much wanted baby was too heavy a burden to even speak about. Sometimes, even to acknowledge that loss by sharing the news with family or friends is to deepen the wound and to lengthen the time it takes to cope or to move on, in as far as anybody can ever move on from the loss of an infant following a distressing miscarriage or tragic stillbirth. Now try to think of telling this to an employer.

The World Health Organization published a paper recently that stated, "Whatever the circumstances surrounding the loss of a baby, every single woman deserves respectful and dignified healthcare that acknowledges her loss, provides support for any psychological issues she may face, and empowers her to make future decisions about having a child."This is an important point to raise and discuss regarding this Bill. If you have suffered the loss of an infant, you are not sick, on holidays or on annual leave but you are most certainly not fit to attend work.

When I experienced pregnancy loss I was admitted overnight due to complications so I accessed time off. Sick leave or annual leave in these instances is wholly inappropriate. If you get access to some kind of medical leave, how can one trust an employer will not discriminate against you in the workplace when it comes to career opportunities and progression? If you are negatively affected, how can you be "empowered", as the World Health Organization advises, to make further decisions about ever having a child?

Assuming the appropriate legislative vehicle is identified, I support the premise of the Bill to introduce five days of paid leave to an employee who experiences pregnancy loss and two and a half days of paid leave to an employee who is parent to a pregnancy loss. I also support the establishment of a confidential opt-in register of pregnancy loss. As Senator Ryan noted, this week the UK put on record its intention to introduce a statutory right to bereavement leave, including for miscarriage. It would be unacceptable for us in Ireland to lag behind and not follow suit as regards what is being done in this area. I stress the right to privacy and compassion, even if it means forcing compassion from line managers, employees or others who do not exhibit it by nature.

I will end with a quote from the WHO: "Pregnancy must be a positive experience for mothers and babies - when that isn't possible, then women deserve our empathy, respect and support."