Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Question 229: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will extend the provision in the Maternity Protection (Amendment) Act 2004 which entitles breastfeeding mothers in the workforce breastfeeding breaks during their working day without loss of pay until the infant is six months old, to facilitate mothers who wish to continue breastfeeding until the child is one year of age. [2498/07]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The Maternity Protection (Protection of Mothers who are Breast-feeding) Regulations 2004 which came into operation on 18th October 2004, make provision for an employee who is breast-feeding to take 1 hour off from her work each working day as a breast-feeding break without loss of pay, until the child is 6 months provided:

the employee's date of confinement is not more than twenty six weeks earlier

the employee notifies her employer in writing of the proposal as soon as reasonably practicable for her to notify her employer of her intention to return to work and of the date on which she expects to return to work

the employee furnishes, if so requested by her employer, the birth certificate of the child concerned or any other document establishing the date of the birth of the child.

There are no further proposals at present to increase the statutory entitlement to time off from work or reduction of working hours for breastfeeding.

The Deputy will be aware of the five year strategic action plan, "Breastfeeding in Ireland", published in October, 2005 by the National Committee on Breastfeeding under the aegis of the Department of Health and Children. Under this strategy, the Department of Health and Children will be taking a leading role in strengthening maternity protection legislation and policies pertaining to breast-feeding.

"Towards 2016" the current framework social partnership agreement, develops a new framework to address key social challenges which the individual faces at each stage of life. In this agreement the Government has undertaken to enhance maternity leave entitlements, in line with the measures announced in Budget 2006, aimed at helping children and their families to experience the qualities of family life, particularly in the important first year of life of the child.