HISTORY AS TDS TO GET MATERNITY LEAVE FOR FIRST TIME
Move to make politics more attractive for women
PREGNANT TDs will no longer face the ‘insulting’ demand for a sick cert when they take time off to have their baby – as the Government prepares to back a radical proposal to support women TDs and senators.
Under the scheme, a new mother in the Oireachtas will not get traditional maternity leave. Instead, she will be allowed hire an extra parliamentary assistant for six months to help with Dáil and constituency work while she concentrates on her newborn.
This will also allow her turn up for crucial issues such as Budget debates and Dáil votes, and maintain a presence in her constituency.
The proposals, drawn up by the Houses of the Oireachtas Managing Commission, are expected to be backed by all parties in the wake of a major shift in public opinion for more women’s rights seen since the Yes vote in the abortion referendum.
While women politicians have welcomed the move, which will encourage more women to stand for the Dáil, others have expressed concern that the same
privileges aren’t afforded to all Irish women, particularly the selfemployed who receive less support from the State. The proposals include: Provision of an additional secretarial assistant for the ‘maternity leave’ period of 26 weeks; No need for ‘fobbing in’ or attending Leinster House; All parliamentary allowances to be paid over that time, except for those that are not due, e.g., travel allowances would be reduced. ÷Breastfeeding in the Dáil and Seanad chambers.
Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl will make a room available if necessary, and said he believed there was nothing preventing a woman from breastfeeding in the Dáil or Seanad chamber.
Fianna Fáil came up with the policy in a Private Member’s Bill brought by party deputies Niamh Smyth and Anne Rabbitte, but with the changed political circumstances, the Government decided to bring in its own legislation.
It is expected to be rushed through the Dáil by means of a Statutory Instrument, which allows a minister pass a law without debate in the Dáil.
When introducing the original Bill, mother and Dáil deputy Ms Smyth said it was ‘quite insulting being asked for a sick cert, not acknowledging a basic human right of having a baby’.
Labour Party deputy and motherof-two Jan O’Sullivan said: ‘There shouldn’t be a barrier to women becoming parliamentarians. The case of the New Zealand prime minister [who gave birth this week] is an example of the fact that it seems so unusual to us to see a pregnant official. I think she’s only the second female prime minister to actually have a baby while in her post.’
She was referring to prime minister Jacinda Ardern, who gave birth to a daughter on Thursday and posted a message welcoming the healthy newborn ‘to our village’.
The first elected world leader to give birth while holding office was the late Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who gave birth to daughter Bakhtawar in 1990.
There are now 35 women in the Dáil and 19 in the Seanad, representing 22% of TDs and 32% of senators. Ms O’Sullivan said: ‘If you look at the numbers of women in parliament in Ireland, I think we have to take away whatever barriers there are. Obviously, there’s a barrier around maternity leave.’.
Fine Gael European Affairs Minister Helen McEntee welcomed the policy but said hiring a parliamentary assistant to cover their constituency duties would not solve everything.
She said: ‘At the moment, if you’re an elected representative and you’re invited to a meeting, it’s you, the person that’s been elected, that’s expected to arrive. This is the problem, if a woman is elected and has a baby, there’s no-one that can fill in for her at that time and that’s why there’s a requirement for politicians and for a lot of people, maybe women who are selfemployed, to go back to work immediately. We need to come up with a way that would allow that work to continue and for somebody to be represented.’ Head of the Association for Improvements in Maternity Services, Dr Krysia Lynch, told the MoS: ‘We certainly would see this as a good move because it enables a new mother to enjoy the first six months of being with her baby. Her baby will benefit from being in her presence.’ She hopes the move will inspire female politicians who benefit from it to help other women in society get similar benefits. ‘A lot of people might be thinking, “Well, hold on a minute, that’s all very well for female politicians, but what about women in other jobs where perhaps their jobs might be threatened by them not being in situ for six or possibly nine months?” There are many women who have worked extraordinarily hard to get to the top of their field and are working in very highly pressured jobs and want to have some time with their baby but they won’t necessarily be offered the same. It’s important to note that it’s women across the board who need support,’ she said.
The Oireachtas commission agreed to the policy on March 6.
A source explained the reasoning behind the scheme, saying: ‘Constituency work cannot just close down for six months, especially with an election coming into view. A politician needs to stay in full contact with the constituency and those they are elected to serve. Therefore, we decided that an extra staff member will allow women to spend time with their new child, and to rest from giving birth. But they will, we assume, continue to work. And there may be major votes, like the Budget, that they will want to attend.’
Though TDs and senators are paid their salaries by the Houses of the Oireachtas they are not employees. The Oireachtas working arrangements were established in the 1920s and have changed little.
‘Hold on a minute, what about other women?’