Long delayed paid leave for miscarriage must not exclude fertility treatment
Long delayed paid leave for miscarriage must not exclude fertility treatment - The Labour Party
- Over five years since Labour introduced law to provide 20 days leave for early pregnancy loss and 10 days to attend fertility treatments.
- Labour has secured commitment to detailed pre-legislative scrutiny of proposals at Enterprise Committee and a public consultation.
- Minister should commit to progressing Labour Bill to ensure swifter implementation of leave proposals.
Responding to the Sunday Independent report of government plans to introduce 5 days of paid leave for early pregnancy loss, Labour Health spokesperson Marie Sherlock TD has welcomed that some progress is finally being made, noted it is over five years since Labour first brought forward proposals, and that the report does not include leave for fertility treatments.
Deputy Sherlock urged the Minister to take up the Labour Bill to ensure quicker implementation as it has passed the Seanad, and is due to begin detailed scrutiny at the Enterprise Committee.
Deputy Sherlock said:
“The report today indicates that government plans to introduce only five days of paid leave for pregnancy loss before 23 weeks, including for terminations, at a cost of up to €10 million. While we do not have full details of Minister Burke’s proposals yet, this limited progress is welcome, but it unfortunately does not go far enough.
“Over five years ago on International Women’s Day the Labour Party introduced a Bill to provide vital leave to women when it matters most. Our Reproductive Health Leave Bill would ensure women who experience the tragic loss of an early pregnancy would be entitled to 20 days off work, and anyone seeking fertility treatments would be entitled to up to 10 days leave to attend appointments.
“We progressed the Bill in the Seanad in January 2022 and it was unopposed by Government progressing later to the Dáil. In November 2022, Labour attempted to introduce the policy by amending Government’s Work Life Balance and Misconduct Provisions Bill 2022, but our amendment was ruled out of order.
“In January 2024, PLACES, the UCC research group instructed by Government to carry out a report into pregnancy loss, submitted its report to the Department of Children. Yet again, no action was taken.
“Earlier this year, I wrote to the Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment on progressing the Bill through detailed scrutiny and it confirmed it would be agreeable to carry out detailed scrutiny of our Bill and was minded to carry out a public consultation on the Bill.
“All that has been missing is Government action and now we finally have some movement. I would urge the Minister to take up Labour’s bill which has already passed the Seanad. I would welcome the opportunity to work with him on amendments to ensure the law is passed as quickly as possible.
“Labour initiated this bill working with unions like the INTO to progress workplace protections for people seeking fertility treatment that would represent a step in the right direction in terms of equality in the workplace. Labour’s Bill provides for access to 10 days leave for treatments like IVF to make sure that workers no longer have to use annual leave for treatment. The government should not leave this provision out of it’s own proposals.”
ENDS