Chair of Oireachtas Women's Caucus calls for legislation giving statutory right to maternity leave for members of the Oireachtas to be fast-tracked

Senator Fiona O'Loughlin, the Chair of the Oireachtas Women's Caucus, has said that legislation recently approved by Government that would introduce a statutory right to maternity leave for members of the Oireachtas must be fast-tracked once the Oireachtas returns from Summer recess.

The Government approved the drafting of a Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024 in July and it has been referred to the Office of the Attorney General for drafting.

Senator O'Loughlin said: "The statutory right to maternity leave for Oireachtas Members is something that I have consistently called for as Chair of the Women's Caucus and I have had a number of meetings with Minister O'Gorman on the matter.

"I welcome the recent approval by Government for the drafting of legislation that would introduce maternity leave for Oireachtas members. It is vital that this legislation is now fast-tracked as much as possible.

"We have a situation where Deputy Holly Cairns has announced her pregnancy, and I wish her very well with it, but it is simply not right that she has no statutory right to maternity leave.

"What is important now is that we absolutely need to have this legislation in place in time for the next mandate for women who will be coming into the Oireachtas.

"I am also calling for the introduction of paternity leave for Oireachtas members. While the Minister has said that we need to have the maternity leave in place first, which I agree with, it is still beyond time for this and we need to get it resolved as quickly as we possibly can."

-ENDS-