Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

674. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department will commit to fixing the anomaly in the legislation to ensure women and pregnant people can defer their maternity leave while undergoing cancer treatment or any other serious illness. [34593/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Maternity Protection Acts 1994-2004 provide a pregnant employee with six months of paid maternity leave and an additional three months of unpaid leave; alongside other entitlements such as breastfeeding breaks which I intend to extend to two years following the birth of the child through a Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill to be brought to Government shortly. 

The Acts include provisions for the postponement of maternity leave in the event of the hospitalisation of the child and for the termination of additional unpaid maternity leave in the event of illness of the mother.

However, all forms of family leave are kept under review to ensure they are effective in supporting families and children. Therefore I have asked my officials to examine the issues raised by the Irish Cancer Society regarding the deferral of maternity leave where a mother falls ill during that period.