Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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938. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 577 of 18 October 2022, if provisions for maternity leave for Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas were not included in Report Stage of the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022 as committed to by him; and if he will clarify the way in which he now intends to advance this matter. [63136/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022 is currently awaiting Committee Stage in the Seanad where I intend to bring some technical amendments. The Bill will introduce important entitlements for workers, in particular for workers who are parents or carers, such a leave for medical care purposes and the right to request remote working. As the provisions in this Bill are also required for the transposition of the Work Life Balance Directive, the deadline for which has now passed, it is important that they be advanced as soon as possible.

While I had indicated my intention to bring forward legislative proposals to provide for maternity leave for Members of the Oireachtas as part of this Bill, owing to the urgency of the Work Life Balance Bill and the complexity of these proposals, I have decided to bring them forward separately as a stand-alone Bill.

The Government is very committed to ensuring that Members of the Oireachtas can avail of maternity leave but there are constitutional and practical concerns which must be addressed before legislative proposals can be brought forward.