Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 5 Apr 2017

Vol. 945 No. 3

Maternity Leave and Benefit: Motion [Private Members]

Deputy Catherine Martin

I move:

"That Dáil Éireann:

notes that:

— a premature baby is a baby who is delivered at less than 37 weeks gestation;

— 1 in 16 women in Ireland will deliver a premature baby;

— according to figures from the Economic and Social Research Institute and the Central Statistics Office, over 4,500 babies are born prematurely in Ireland every year, which in 2014 was 6.6% of all births;

— under the Maternity Acts 1994 and 2004 a mother is entitled to 26 weeks maternity leave and maternity benefit and an additional 16 weeks unpaid maternity leave;

— maternity leave generally comes into effect on the birth of the child and does not take into account whether the child is full-term or premature;

— babies surviving from the earliest gestations, such as 23 weeks, can spend months in a neonatal unit in hospital, including in intensive care units, and that most babies who are discharged from a unit on supportive medical equipment require full-time care in the home and will need to attend regular clinics and therapy appointments;

— allowances are available in the Acts for a mother to defer her maternity leave while a baby is hospitalised, but these allowances do not adequately provide for the needs of premature babies, and this inadequacy is particularly apparent in instances where mothers are ill, or have undergone a caesarean section, or when premature babies have been transferred from rural hospitals to Dublin neonatal units; and

— premature babies are more at risk of disease and infection than full-term babies, including a higher risk of respiratory problems such as respiratory distress syndrome, neonatal infections, heart problems, intraventricular haemorrhage in the brain, retinopathy of prematurity, hyperbilirubinemia, hypothermia and necrotising enterocolitis;

acknowledges:

— that the current length of maternity and paternity leave does not recognise the difficulty for parents of premature babies, whose leave begins long before they can take their baby home from hospital;

— that parents must spend significant time and resources on caring for their premature babies;

— that in some cases, parents of premature babies from rural areas are compelled to travel for up to four hours on a daily commute to neonatal intensive care units, thus incurring significant expenses in medical care, accommodation, transport, parking and basic meals; and

— the emotional and financial burden placed on parents caring for premature babies and the need for specialised support, particularly for parents who have other children;

calls on the Government to extend the period of statutory maternity leave and maternity benefit for mothers of premature babies, by the length of time between the delivery date of the baby and either the date the baby would have been delivered if full-term or the date of the baby leaving hospital, whichever is later, and that this extension be in addition to the current entitlement to 26 weeks maternity leave and maternity benefit and the additional 16 weeks unpaid maternity leave under the Maternity Acts 1994 and 2004; and

further calls on the Government to:

— extend paternity leave to incorporate the circumstances of premature babies;

— provide additional financial support, where necessary, for the families of premature babies, in relation to travel and accommodation costs, so the family unit can stay together;

— ensure that forms and information on maternity leave and related benefits are available in all neonatal units;

— publish advice for all employers about how to best support parents of premature babies; and

— require employers to have a policy in place for supporting parents of premature babies."

Tá mé fíorshásta an rún seo de chuid an Chomhaontais Ghlais a chur faoi bhráid na Dála anocht.  This motion calls on the Government to recognise the crucial needs of a mother when her child is born prematurely. The Green Party has proposed this motion because it believes the extension of maternity leave and maternity benefit for the mothers of babies who are born prematurely is a vital first step in tackling the particular challenges faced by the parents and families of prematurely delivered babies, as well as the babies themselves.

I acknowledge the many parents who have written to me in recent weeks in support of this motion. I welcome the mothers, fathers and children who are in the Gallery for this afternoon's debate.  I thank them for their attendance. It is possible that any positive changes we make to maternity leave will be too late for some of them. They are not here for themselves, but for future mothers and fathers and future generations. I admire their strength, courage and generosity of spirit. Many of them know at first hand what is at stake today. They passionately want to see a more caring Ireland for mothers who are unexpectedly catapulted into a different world where they must face a challenge of a magnitude they have never have faced before.  A mother who wrote to me yesterday suggested that if people lived through these circumstances, they would not think twice about making this change. I welcome members of the Irish Premature Babies organisation to the Gallery. I thank them for supporting this motion. I acknowledge the selfless and dedicated work that is done tirelessly by this group and all charities to support and advocate for the families of premature infants and the premature infants themselves.

One in every 16 women in Ireland will give birth to a premature baby. More than 4,500 babies are delivered before 37 weeks in this country each year. Some babies are born 17 weeks before their due date. The impact of premature birth on parents and members of the extended family can be significantly challenging and sometimes daunting. Ireland is a small country. Everyone knows parents who have been affected by the worry, shock, terror and uncertainty of the premature delivery of a baby, followed by long hospital vigils hour after hour, day after day, week after week and, in some cases, month after month. In such circumstances, parents rapidly become acutely aware of the scale of the varied worries and challenges they must face. They learn about infections, diseases and many other health challenges which premature babies are at much greater risk of contracting than full-term babies.

While new parenthood is always a challenge, the mother of a premature baby has to deal with many additional challenges, the first of which is the sudden and unexpected timing of the birth itself. Many mothers do not have time to pack a bag for their stay in hospital, let alone be afforded the time to inform their employers in advance about events. When their stay in hospital ends and they are formally discharged, it is only the end of the beginning. In many respects, they are not discharged at all. Their thoughts are 100% focused like tunnel vision on the ongoing care and well-being of their babies. Due to the extent of their committed caring time, which is purely spent in the hospital environs, other people in the hospital who are unconnected to their plight sometimes mistakenly take them for being permanent members of the hospital’s caring professions. In one sense, they are - sometimes, unfortunately, to such an extent that they can selflessly neglect their own wellness and well-being. What does this State do at present? It fails to treat them differently from the other mothers who are fortunate enough to give birth to full-term babies.

Today, the Dáil has an opportunity to say that there should be no more of this, to give these mothers a voice and to hear that voice. In acknowledging that voice and recognising the current inequality, the Dáil can resolve to address this issue in a meaningful way. The mothers of Ireland are watching us attentively today. I do not doubt that some of them are filled with nerves. I ask the Members of this House, who often have differences and disagreements in this Chamber, to stand together not for themselves or their respective parties, or even for new politics, but for mothers who find themselves propelled into a frenetic world in which the immediate and most pervading concern that permeates every second of their day is the fear that their babies might not survive. This fear can become speechless and suffocating for parents as they zealously watch their tiny and fragile children fighting for their lives in hospital. We know that emotionally draining and physically exhausting days, weeks and months lie ahead for such parents. As legislators, we cannot remove fear and worry from the parents of premature babies, but by extending maternity leave and benefit we can remove some of the incredible stress and strain from their already troubled lives. We can offer and deliver real help and make real change.

An opportunity like the one we have today should not pass without acknowledging and paying tribute to the hard-working women and men who work in hospitals and health care facilities across the country. They work tirelessly, often in incredibly pressured work environments, to ensure the best professional expert care is given any baby who is born pre-term. Like the mothers I have mentioned, courageous doctors and nurses are unheralded champions.

Under the Maternity Protection Acts 1994 and 2004, mothers are entitled to 26 weeks of maternity leave and benefit and 16 weeks of unpaid leave. This generally comes into action on the birth of the baby. Babies who survive from the earliest gestations, such as 23 weeks, can spend months in hospital neonatal units because, as a result of being born prematurely, their major organs have not had enough time to develop in utero. Premature babies are at more risk of disease and infection than full-term infants. Babies who are discharged from neonatal units with definite long-term diagnoses or on supportive medical equipment need full-time care in the home.  Under current legislation, a mother will use up the majority of her maternity leave and benefit before her baby comes home from hospital. While it is possible for a mother to defer her maternity leave while her baby is in hospital, it is out of the question for many parents to go back to work while their baby is encased in a glass box and hooked up to tubes, especially when there is a great deal of evidence that babies benefit greatly from the touch and closeness of a parent on a daily basis.

All of my three children were born at full term. In recent years, I have watched and listened to the heart-wrenching stories of friends and colleagues at work who have had premature babies.

I cannot begin to imagine and comprehend the worry, stress and upheaval that parents go through when their babies are born prematurely. The current length of maternity leave and benefit does not recognise the difficulties faced by the mothers of premature babies who are forced to commence their maternity leave long before their babies come home. Research has shown that mothers of premature babies record significantly higher rates of post traumatic stress disorder than mothers of full-term infants and that these traumatic reactions can remain active in the long term and require extensive follow-up.

I am bringing the motion before the Dáil to shed light on how unfair and unacceptable the current legislative regime is for parents of premature babies and to seek change. Politics can help and has the potential to make a real difference today. The motion calls on the Government to extend the period of available maternity leave and benefit by a variable degree for all mothers of babies who are born prematurely, extending it from the day the baby is born to the day the baby would have been born if born at full-term. In cases where premature babies are kept in hospital past what would have been their full-term, the extended maternity leave and benefit would continue until the baby is discharged. It is essential that the entitlement is made available, in addition to all current maternity leave and benefit entitlements.

The net effect of this change would be that when a baby is born prematurely, his or her mother would not start her six-month entitlement to maternity leave and benefit until the equivalent full-term of the baby has been reached or the baby has been discharged from hospital. While her infant is in hospital, the mother need not worry about eating into her six months of maternity leave. Only once the baby is discharged and is safe and healthy at home should the current six-month period commence.

The motion also calls on the Government to consider extending paternity leave under these circumstances, and to provide additional financial support where necessary for families of premature babies for travel and accommodation costs so the family can stay together. Parents should receive greater support from their employers and, therefore, I call on the Government to arrange that appropriate advice be published for all employers on how to do this and to require employers to have a policy in place for supporting the parents of premature babies. While most employers treat employees who find themselves in these unexpected circumstances with compassion, it is essential that they know how best to support them. New mothers need to feel confident of their rights in the workplace. These are all practical and reasonable steps, and will make a significant difference to parents of premature babies.

  It is important to note that not all premature infants have health issues, and not all babies who are born at or past full-term are born healthy. There are many sick babies who are born at full-term whose parents still live in worry and fear for their babies' health, and today my heart goes out to them. I also aware of the fact that sometimes the parents of premature babies may bring home their baby within days of birth, healthy and into a new and happy household. However, for those who are born prematurely the challenges are unbelievably daunting.

In advance of this debate, I received numerous communications and I would like to share one letter I received from a mother of a premature baby. I will read some excerpts to the House. She states:

Dear Catherine,

I am writing to you to share my experiences as a mother of an extremely premature baby who was born four months early in 2014 at the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street. Patrick arrived unexpectedly at 23 weeks plus one day's gestation weighing approximately one pound four ounces. To get an idea of Patrick's actual size at birth, his body was the size of a mobile phone. His legs were the length of an adult's baby finger.

During labour, I was informed by the consultant neonatologist that Patrick had less than a 10% chance of survival and that they would know within three minutes of his birth whether they would take him immediately to the neonatal intensive care unit (ICU) or hand him back to me to hold in his final minutes of life. I will remember that moment and those words for the rest of my life. There was no joyful cry at birth, only the sound of clinicians working frantically to save our baby boy who faced life's biggest nemesis - death.

My maternity leave of 26 weeks commenced the day after Patrick was born. There were no congratulatory cards, no shiny balloons, no photos of my husband or I holding our little boy. Only silent tears, trying to hold it together for each other, living hour-to-hour, day-to-day for the first two months. 

Our little boy, the apple of our eyes, the beam of our smiles, and the love of our lives, spent the next 18 weeks in ICU. He was on life support for 70 days, had 11 transfusions, an open heart valve, biochemical difficulties, chronic lung disease, hernias, severe reflux and retinopathy... Our world came crashing down when at seven weeks post birth, Patrick had kidney failure and crashed requiring resuscitation. Though our hearts were utterly broken, Patrick never gave up - one of his many traits. We learned that day to never underestimate a premature baby or any child. They can surpass all that is expected of them and much more. They are stronger than any adult. 

 After 18 weeks and following Patrick's discharge as an inpatient in Holles Street, I had 8 weeks remaining of paid maternity leave. 

 Ten months post birth... I realised I was functioning on autopilot and during a visit to my GP was diagnosed with... post traumatic stress disorder. Discussing one's mental health is difficult and a mother to admit that she feels fearful, anxious, or down, well this is in contrast to what society expects of a new mother and especially of one whose baby has survived [against] the odds. But I don't mind sharing this experience with you and others because I was living every day with a heightened sense of fear that Patrick might die suddenly; that his survival was just too good to be true. However, with the support of my wonderful husband, our families, and a counsellor, I learned how to integrate this traumatic experience into my life in a positive way. 

I end this letter on a positive, Patrick recently celebrated his 3rd birthday and is a beautiful, healthy and independent little boy.

Patrick’s mum, Tara, is here today. Her story is just one story, and there are many more similar stories from mothers, fathers and families throughout the length and breadth of this country. Where are the supports for Tara and the thousands of other mothers every year who face this exhausting challenge of a lifetime? Many people who have written to me are shocked that we as a country have chosen to ignore rather than support and that what I am proposing is not already in place.

Mar is eol do thuismitheoirí, is am faoi leith é nuair a shaolaítear leanbh tar éis aistear naoi mhí sa bhroinn. Bíonn gliondar agus faoiseamh orainn go bhfuil an mháthair in éindí lena naíon tar éis teacht slán trí ghnáth-thriail na breithe. Ach, le naíon a shaolaítear ró-luath roimh am breithe, anuas ar an ngliondar croí, bíonn briseadh croí fosta agus buairt. Níl faoiseamh ar bith i ndán do na tuismitheoirí mar tá an baol ann i gcónaí go bhféadfaí an leanbh leochaileach seo a chailliúint am ar bith. Tréimhse strusmhar, imníoch lán d'imní breise ata i gceist agus, ar ndóigh, lán de chostais breise ar nós taistil agus lóistín gar don ospidéal agus mar sin de. Bíonn impleachtaí i gceist don teaghlach ar fad.

Feictear dom go bhfuil dlíthe reatha an Stáit ag cur le hualach na máthar in ionad é a laghdú, nó fiú é a roinnt léi. Ach, tá rogha againn machnamh ar an gceist seo agus athruithe a dhéanamh chun maitheasa, ar mhaithe le meabharshláinte agus sláinte fisiciúil na máthar, mar aon le deis a sholáthar don naíon beag bídeach buntáiste a bhaint as teagmháil fisiciúil lena mháthair nó máthair. Is nasc nádúrtha é sin atá riachtanach do fhorbairt an naín leochailigh úd a shaolaítear ró-luath roimh am breithe.

  This House has an opportunity to begin to put things right today. Members of all political parties and none have an opportunity to unite behind these mothers, to protect families and children and give them the help that they need and deserve. I implore and urge Members of the House to support this motion, and in doing so to allow mothers to have time to recover from a traumatic few weeks or months, time at home with their baby, time to hold their baby, time to care for their baby and time to watch their baby progress at home. I ask Members to support this motion and give mothers and babies that precious time together.

Acting Chairman (Deputy Eugene Murphy)

I thank the Deputy for that powerful and emotional opening contribution to the debate. Before moving on to the Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, I wish to extend a welcome to the parents of premature babies, and the babies themselves who have now grown older, in the Visitors Gallery.

Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (Deputy David Stanton)

On behalf of the Tánaiste and the Government as a whole, I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion. I congratulate Deputies Catherine Martin and Eamon Ryan for bringing this important motion before the House.

I have been a Member of the House for 20 years and I do not think that this matter has come up before in this format. Perhaps Deputy Penrose, who has been here for around the same time or longer, might agree with that.

I also thank Deputy Catherine Martin for the research she has done on this issue and the way in which she has presented the motion to the House. She will be pleased to know that the Government is not opposing the motion. The motion proposes the extension of maternity leave and maternity benefit for mothers of premature babies, and suggests consequential provisions in relation to paternity leave and other related matters.

I have a personal interest in this matter because I also was a premature baby and was not supposed to live.

Deputy Mattie McGrath

Maith an fear.

Deputy David Stanton

I therefore wanted to declare that. In fact, I am told that it was a miracle I survived.

Deputy Mattie McGrath

You are a survivor.

Deputy David Stanton

Yes and I am here to tell the tale. In the late 1950s my parents went through a time wondering whether or not I would survive, so I can empathise with that. I heard the stories that were told and I know it affects many people on all sides.

The Government is acutely aware of the different pressures that families with pre-term babies face and believes that the State can and should support families at a time when the pressures of nurturing a new life can be daunting and stressful. The Government also believes in investing in a child’s critical early years. We all know how important and life-defining these are, and this is why investment in early years is a recurring theme in the current A Programme for a Partnership Government. It is also a theme echoed by colleagues on all sides of the House.

Studies have shown that the first years of life, particularly the first three years, are crucial to a child’s lifelong growth and development, and further research shows that children benefit most from parental care in the first year. We owe it to our children to give them the best start in life, and enabling them to be cherished and nurtured by their parents for as long as possible will provide a vital foundation for their future lives.

It is for these compelling reasons that the Government expanded paid leave in the first year of a child’s life in 2016 through the introduction of two weeks of statutory paternity leave and benefit for new fathers. The Paternity Leave and Benefit Bill 2016, which the Tánaiste and I progressed and which these Houses collectively enacted in July brought the number of weeks of paid support to parents upon the birth of their child to 28. This comprises 26 weeks of maternity leave, two weeks of which must be taken before the birth, and two weeks of paternity leave.

The Government is very much aware that even when things go according to plan with the arrival of a full-term and healthy baby, families need the 28 weeks of combined paid maternity and paternity leave that are currently available and would welcome an increase to cover the first year of the child’s life. We have a commitment in this regard in our programme for Government, to which I shall return.

When babies are born prematurely however, bringing all of the attendant concerns that have been outlined by the proposing Deputies, there is a particularly strong case to be made for expanding maternity leave on public policy grounds. In replies to several recent parliamentary questions the Tánaiste has signalled that this is an issue she is very open to considering in the context of the family leave Bill that the Department of Justice and Equality is currently working on. A draft Bill has been produced, which needs to be updated to reflect the redress reforms made in the Workplace Relations Act 2015 and the Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016.

The Tánaiste has also signalled that the family leave Bill will be the vehicle by which other necessary updates and amendments to existing family leave legislation will be made. In this regard, I would also mention that there are two other substantive issues on which work is nearing completion in the Department of Justice and Equality. The first issue is the provision for adoptive leave and benefit in the case of same-sex male couples. This is currently not provided for and the anomaly could not be addressed in the time available for the Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016 due to the complexity of the interaction with the Adoptive Leave Acts. The Department of Justice and Equality has completed consultations with the Department of Social Protection and the Tánaiste intends to bring a separate memorandum to Government on this essentially technical issue shortly.

The second issue is the provision for the programme for Government commitment to increase paid parental leave during the first year of a child’s life. Discussions have recently taken place between the relevant officials in the Department of Justice and Equality and the Department of Social Protection. Further discussions with other relevant Departments will take place shortly. The Tánaiste intends to develop these policy proposals with Government colleagues in the coming weeks, including the technical details of how the male same-sex adoption issue can be addressed in the Family Leave Bill, and have it published later this year.

Returning to the motion before the House, clearly the question of costs will be a key consideration in the context of any forthcoming legislative proposals. We will therefore have to plan and budget for this properly.

As I have said, the Government is not opposing the motion before the House. We believe the State should support families at a time when the pressures of nurturing a new life can be daunting and stressful, as Deputy Catherine Martin outlined earlier. However, we need to examine closely the costs of any legislative proposals, as well as planning and budgeting for them properly, in conjunction with the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

In relation to the substantive point - extra maternity leave for mothers of premature babies - the Department of Social Protection has provided some preliminary and tentative costings on what this might involve. Obviously, the weekly cost to provide for all premature babies at week 37 would be much more than the initial weekly cost for the smaller number of babies that are born very prematurely, at weeks 24, 25, 26 and so on. However, we have an obligation to conduct detailed costing work to establish what such reforms would cost for the Exchequer and employers. We also need to define in law precisely what is to be regarded as a premature birth and what extra provision is to be made.

In so far as there is such a thing as a normal birth, it is generally taken to be 39 weeks, with a pre-term birth in the medical world being taken as any birth in week 37 or earlier. Births in week 37, however, are not so unusual as to be abnormal and most babies born at that time are healthy and without significant additional support needs.

Clearly, births at week 24 are in a radically different category. One of the issues it would be important to tease out at a policy level is how one defines in law that category of births that are so early that significant additional support needs arise for the child and the parents. This was outlined so well by Deputy Catherine Martin earlier.

There is more work to be done before the Government is in a position to suggest legislation on this point and my Department will consult closely with the Department of Health, the Department of Social Protection and other Departments in formulating precise proposals. I expect that colleagues on Oireachtas committees will also be involved in those discussions at a later date.

As I mentioned at the start, the Government is not opposing this motion. I thank both Deputies for bringing it forward. It is an important and interesting debate to have at this time. I recently received representations from some people on the issue, so it is obviously quite current and people are focused on it.

While not opposing the motion, we would instead like to place on the record of the House our intention to address the substantive issue raised in the Family Leave Bill. That is the vehicle by which we can make this happen. I look forward to the support of the House when these proposals come to be debated.

I will be interested to hear what other colleagues have to say on this motion. I do not expect that the House will divide on the matter. I expect that the detail will be teased out as the issues are debated. It is not beyond us to do that.

Acting Chairman (Deputy Eugene Murphy)

The next time slot is for Fianna Fáil which has six speakers. I understand Deputy O'Loughlin will lead off with five minutes and the other five speakers will share ten minutes.

Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin

I wish to share time with Deputies Anne Rabbitte, Niamh Smith, Aindrias Moynihan, James Brown and Frank O'Rourke.

I start by saying, as one premature baby to another, that there are many of us around. When one thinks about how many premature babies are born every year, it should not be unusual that a number of current Deputies would have been born prematurely themselves. There is no doubt that the greatest miracle in life is a baby. A baby comes with lots of emotions and challenges. It is a daunting time both for mums and dads. The greatest heartbreak comes when a baby is sick and parents are at a complete loss as to how to help and support their small offspring.

Some 4,500 babies are born prematurely every year.

This equates to one in 16 Irish women delivering a preterm baby. This is 4,500 Patricks and 4,500 Taras. Deputy Catherine Martin eloquently put the story of Tara and Patrick, and it is something that resonates throughout the country in every constituency.

When we look at the situation globally, the latest World Health Organization report, Born Too Soon: The Global Action Report on Preterm Birth, gives a very good indication of where we stand in the world. A total of 15 million babies are born prematurely every year. This report was the first ever national, regional and global evaluation of preterm birth. It highlighted how preterm birth rates are increasing in many countries, and preterm birth is now the second leading cause of death worldwide for children under the age of five. This is very scary. World health leaders report that preterm birth has been an overlooked and neglected problem worldwide. As the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said, all newborns are vulnerable but preterm babies are acutely so.

As we know, premature babies have a higher risk of respiratory problems, neonatal infections and heart problems. For example, babies born at 23 weeks can spend months in special care units in hospitals, and often babies who are discharged from a unit with a long-term diagnosis are on supportive medical equipment and still need full-time care in the home. Under current legislation a mother will have used up the majority of her maternity leave before her baby even makes the journey home. At present, in Ireland maternity leave comes into effect on the date of the birth of the child, but babies surviving from the earliest gestation, such as 23 weeks as I have outlined, can spend months in a neonatal unit in hospital. When they come home, apart from the extra care they require, they will need to attend regular clinics and therapy appointments.

The situation we have at present with legislation and policy does not take into account the huge unforeseen pressure and turmoil families face when caring for a premature baby. I commend Deputy Martin for her motion, which calls on the Government to recognise the hardship faced by these parents and increase maternity leave and benefits by the number of weeks a child is born prematurely. I acknowledge the Minister of State has said the Government will not oppose the motion, and I support and welcome this statement. We must acknowledge that the system as it is puts enormous pressure on families of premature babies.

When we look at the financial hardship faced by parents of premature babies, the expenses include the daily commute to hospital, parking costs, child care costs for other children at home and accommodation costs. Post-discharge costs include loss of wages, medical costs, GP costs and private assessments and therapies, and this does not even touch on the emotional trauma for a family. I certainly support the Bill and all of the addendums the Deputy has made. Extending paid maternity leave will promote and extend parental care in the first year of a child's life, which is absolutely crucial for the child's development. The journey for parents of a premature baby is often a very difficult one. Supports on an emotional level in terms of giving extra time, and easing the financial burden by extending maternity leave and benefit to reflect this, could make the journey slightly less arduous. It is incumbent upon us in the House to do exactly this.

Deputy Anne Rabbitte

I thank Deputy Martin for bringing the motion to the House this evening. I am delighted to be an elected representative when we do not have a divided House and we are all working together for one common goal. We are discussing the 4,500 premature babies born each year. Last Christmas, I was honoured to be invited by members of the Irish Premature Babies group to Lusk, where they launched their calendar. The reason they launched the calendar was to fundraise for breast pumps for premature babies because they do not have enough money. This is a conversation we could have with the Minister for Social Protection because with 4,500 premature babies born on an annual basis there is a shortage of approximately 100 breast pumps, which works out at approximately €25,000.

Aside from all of this, my connection with the subject is through my sister, who is a neonatal nurse. She trained to be specially involved in it and she speaks about babies who are born with half a heart and preterm babies, and the role and responsibilities of the medical profession. She speaks about the anguish, upset and devastation in parents' eyes because they are so helpless. The last thing they think of at that moment is the financial implication. The baby has been born and they are just delighted to have their little one, whom they are willing on. When we get down to what it is about, it is maternity leave. In some cases if a child is born at 27 weeks, by the time he or she goes home there might be only three weeks of leave left before going into unpaid leave. This is what the conversation is about and Fianna Fáil is delighted to support the motion before the House. We strongly believe in this and it is a conversation we need to have. More facts and figures need to be found out. We all agree that babies born at 37 weeks have proper lung function and are in a good position, as opposed to babies born at 23 weeks or 24 weeks. This is what the conversation needs to be about and we have to get behind these parents.

The real issue is with regard to the time after the baby is discharged. The presentation earlier in the Audio Visual room was very powerful. The consultant from Holles Street said a baby born four weeks early spends an extra four weeks in neonatal care and a baby born eight weeks early spends and extra eight weeks there. This is apart from any complications with regard to sight or hearing, and then we are into physiotherapy and continuous appointments. This is what feeds into a parent's time. Parents do not want to return to work without having done all of this caring themselves. There is not a mother in the country who will hand over the job with two weeks left on maternity leave. This does not happen. They will give up their jobs and walk away regardless, because their first and foremost call is to their child.

We as legislators need to acknowledge the role of parents with regard to preterm babies. The challenges facing them are unbelievable. As Deputy O'Loughlin stated, there are financial implications, but there is also the emotional drain on the family, such as the coping mechanisms of siblings. Some neonatal babies from Galway have to be brought to Holles Street to be looked after and families relocate. Mothers relocate and the fathers are left at home looking after the other members of the family. People do not disagree or argue with this, they are just happy their wee one is alive, but it is strain. There is an emotional strain and a financial strain. If we could remove one of these strains through maternity benefit it would be a huge step in the right direction.

Deputy Niamh Smyth

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak on this important issue and I thank Deputy Catherine Martin, who spoke powerfully and emotionally on the motion. I am delighted to support the motion, which is to extend maternity leave and maternity benefit for mothers of babies born prematurely. We were informed this morning in a wonderful presentation by Dr. Claudine Vavasseur, and the parents of premature babies who spoke about their experience, that these children can have significant health challenges. Existing leave entitlements make no allowance for the additional time that is needed for parents when a pregnancy does not go to full term. Every year in Ireland approximately 4,500 babies are born prematurely, which means one in 16 women delivers a preterm baby. At the time of the baby's arrival, the parents' concerns, worries and anxieties are quite naturally focused on the baby’s safety, well-being and progress. Maternity leave comes into effect on the date the baby is born, but babies surviving from the earliest gestations, such as 23 weeks, can spend months in a neonatal unit in hospital, including in intensive care units, and most babies who are discharged from a unit on supportive medical equipment require full-time care in the home and will need to attend regular clinics, as my colleagues have pointed out.

Premature babies are more at risk of disease and infection than full-term babies and current legislation and policy does not take into account the huge unforeseen pressures and turmoil families face when caring for a premature baby.

Allowances are available in legislation for a mother to defer her maternity leave while a baby is hospitalised. However, these allowances do not adequately provide for the needs of premature babies. This inadequacy is particularly apparent in incidents where mothers are ill, or have undergone a caesarean section. Fianna Fáil proposed the extension of paid parental leave from 26 to 30 weeks, so that parents, if they choose, can spend longer with their newborn without worrying about its effect on their career prospects or their ability to earn a living. There is a significant gap between the termination of paid maternity leave and the commencement of free pre-school when a child is, at the earliest, three years and two months old. The progression of this policy would have a complementary effect on areas such as parental choice, work-life balance and child well-being. The extension of maternity leave would minimise the need and cost of child care in the child’s first year and allow young children to spend the crucial first year benefiting from parental leave.

I thank Deputy Catherine Martin and the parents who spoke this morning. It was very informative and moving.

Deputy Aindrias Moynihan

Ba mhaith liom mo chuid tacaíochta a léiriú don Bhille seo atá ag lorg síneadh ama agus síneadh leis an liúntas máithreachais, go háirithe nuair a saolaítear leanbh go luath. Smaoineamh an-mhaith atá ann agus molaim an Teachta as é a thabhairt romhainn anseo inniu. Smaoineamh maith é go háirithe toisc go mbíonn tréimhse fada agus deacair caite ag an máthair agus ag an leanbh san ospidéal agus bíonn an-chuid de thréimhse an liúntais caite sara thagann siad abhaile. Ní bhíonn an deis céanna ag an máthair agus ag an leanbh a bheith lena chéile. Léirigh tuismitheoir amháin dom an buairt agus an deacracht a bhí ann dóibh agus iad san ospidéal nuair a saolaíodh páiste dóibh ag 27 seachtain. Nuair a thángadar thar n-ais abhaile, ní raibh ach 13 seachtain den liúntas fágtha acu. Gan dabht, tá sé sin an-ghairid. Ní bhíonn rogha ag mórán teaghlach unpaid leave a thógáil.

A premature child is more likely to have complications after coming home and the family will be going back and forwards for appointments. That, with the time, resources and difficulty involved, would be when they are on reduced leave. It makes real sense to extend the maternity leave and give the same opportunity to both full-term and premature babies and their parents. The Minister of State outlined how he intended to use the family leave Bill as the vehicle to bring this into effect and that he had a number of other issues that he wanted to bring on board. I also bring to the Minister of State's attention the situation with maternity leave for carers, who may have kept a foot in with employment, income and careers. Their carer's allowance is halved when they go on maternity leave. It is a very difficult time for carers, especially if they are continuing in their carer role while on maternity leave. It is another aspect that I recommend the Minister of State takes on board, although the focus today is on the premature baby and extending leave. Molaim an rún.

Deputy James Browne

I am sharing time with Deputy Frank O'Rourke.

I thank Deputy Catherine Martin and the Green Party for bringing forward this motion, as well as the families who are here today. Sometimes a matter comes before the House that is so obvious and so simple that one has to ask why it was not done before. Premature births are the biggest killer of babies in Ireland. Many who survive suffer serious illness. Parents should not have to worry about financial considerations at this time. My sister was born prematurely. Thankfully, Judy survived, but with spina bifida and hydrocephalus. I remember the stresses and strains on my parents at that time, having to travel up and down to Crumlin hospital and seeing their child in an incubator for such a long time. As a mental health spokesperson, I am acutely aware of mental health risks to parents during such times of stress, and the increased risk of mental illness to premature babies as well. Along with my party colleagues, I am glad to support this compassionate and practical motion to extend the maternity leave and benefit of mothers whose babies are born prematurely.

Currently, under the Maternity Protection Act 1994 and Maternity Protection (Amendment) Act 2004, a mother is entitled to 26 weeks of maternity leave and 16 weeks of unpaid leave. I acknowledge that Fianna Fáil previously proposed the extension of paid parental leave from 26 to 30 weeks, with the best interests of both parents and babies in mind. Aside from the obvious nurturing benefits this change would have, there are also the practical benefits of minimising the need and cost for child care for parents at this stressful time. This motion recommends that maternity leave and benefit is extended by the length of time between the delivery date of the baby and either the date the baby would have been delivered full-term, or the date of the baby leaving hospital, whichever is later. Depending on complications, some preterm babies need to stay in neonatal units for weeks or even months. This inevitably means that when a preterm baby is discharged from a neonatal unit, the mother may have very little, if any, maternity leave left to spend with her baby at home. This, coupled with the fact that premature babies are at increased risk of infection and other illnesses compared to full-term babies, makes for an excruciatingly worrying time for parents.

This motion is entirely supported by the Irish Premature Babies association, which is asking us to be the voice of the tiniest babies in Ireland by supporting this motion. We are doing just that. I hope the support and goodwill of this House for this motion will be reflected in the Government legislation to bring about the necessary changes to implement the sentiment of this motion, address the unfairness of the current arrangement and end the arbitrary nature by which maternity leave is given.

Deputy Frank O'Rourke

I thank my colleague, Deputy Anne Rabbitte, for sharing her time with me this evening. I thank Deputy Catherine Martin for bringing forward this motion. It is a well-timed and very important motion for many families. I compliment the Deputy and her party on bringing it forward. I acknowledge all the families and people who spoke today in AV room. They gave very powerful speeches and presentations, all of which I can relate to very closely.

It is important to acknowledge, in this whole conversation and debate, the support given by consultants, doctors, general practitioners and the aftercare and nursing staff. Without their input and help, all the premature babies that we speak about may not and would not survive. I am the father of a premature baby. She was born ten weeks early, 19 years ago. I spent much quality time in Holles Street and Temple Street hospitals. The story was not so good for some parents who came through the hospital during our time. We had a good story and our daughter is now 19. She has done her leaving certificate, is in college, and is leading a full life. That comes at a time when, before she left hospital, all of my wife's maternity leave was gone. That is something which we cannot be distracted from focusing on. We must allow that additional time for them. A good day in Holles Street hospital was when one went in to the neonatal unit and found no doctor or nursing staff around one's child's incubator. That was when one breathed a sigh of relief and celebrated because of knowing that the child was not in the danger zone at that time.

It is hugely emotional for parents, and cannot be distracted from by what is going on outside. When a child comes home from hospital, three very important things must happen. The child is premature and needs stimulation to survive and develop. He or she must get the human touch and interaction that has not been received and he or she suffers for being premature. The child must also get the aftercare that is needed. Children can have complications that need physiotherapy, occupational therapy or speech therapy, which are not afforded through the public health service. This is why it is so important that parental leave is extended. I hope this continues and is enacted and brought into law.

Deputy Kathleen Funchion

I am sharing time with colleagues.

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this very important motion, which proposes the extension of maternity leave and maternity benefit for mothers and babies who are born prematurely. I would like to acknowledge Deputy Catherine Martin for bringing it forward and for the presentation in the AV room today. I also acknowledge the Minister of State for saying that he will not oppose the motion.

Currently, not only do mothers of premature babies have to battle with the emotional trauma of living through the precarious situation of their newborn child, but also face the financial stress of having to take extra unpaid leave in order to spend the appropriate time with their baby. This may not always be possible in certain employments. We also know the parents of premature children often have huge difficulty in finding ways and means to stay with their babies in hospital after a birth due to a shortage of space or the high costs of accommodation required in order to remain near to them. That is very much the case in rural situations where people are primarily transferred to Dublin. We in Sinn Féin fully support the calls for an extension of maternity leave for the time a premature baby has had to spend in a neonatal unit receiving intensive medical attention. The time available for mother and child to spend at home afterwards is obviously shortened as a result.

It goes without saying that the trauma and pain that parents go through watching their newborn fight for survival is enormous. It is an incredibly difficult process, monitoring hour-by-hour if ones baby is going to pull through, and we cannot overstate the emotional impact of that on parents and other family members. In that context it would be wrong not to point out the other factors that play a huge part in compounding this stress. As mentioned, many parents must cover the costs of accommodation in order to remain near their baby while in treatment, with the addition of parking costs and expenses associated with that. Accommodation should be provided so that parents can stay with their baby while they are in hospital supporting their well-being. A very premature baby can spend weeks or months in intensive care before they are able to go home or be transferred back to their local hospital. Parents face the problem of no accommodation, and fathers are often separated at this critical point when their baby really needs the presence, touch and nourishment of their mother and father.

Last November the Minister for Health, along with the Irish neonatal health alliance, launched an online guide which outlines ten family centred care-giving activities that families can participate in when they have an infant in a neonatal intensive care unit, such as comfort holding, assisting with tube feeding and expressing breast milk in order to feed the baby. While that piece of work is welcome, what parents really need is practical and financial assistance. Currently, there are absolutely no allowances for parents of premature babies at State level. Organisations, such as Irish Premature Babies, do outstanding work on a voluntary basis for parents, fund-raising to assist with the costs that parents often have to incur. However, voluntary organisations cannot be expected to be the only support. Many people here are aware of the work of Irish Premature Babies. It has seen an increase in demand of 300% for its services last year, which is completely unsustainable. We know from the most recent statistics from the CSO that there are over 4,500 babies born prematurely ever year. That is one in every 14 births.

I fully support this motion. We are delighted to support it. I would like to remember my own baby nieces, Alana and Lynn, who unfortunately passed away at 23 weeks as a result of being premature. We really need to provide support and assistance to parents. We cannot overstate how difficult it is for people on an emotional level. We may be able to help out on a financial level and provide some assistance for them.

Deputy John Brady

I welcome the motion and I commend the Green Party and the Social Democrats for bringing it forward, particularly Deputy Catherine Martin, who spoke very passionately and emotionally when speaking on the motion this evening. Since the motion was first published I, like many Deputies in the Chamber, received many e-mails from right across the State from parents who have faced the potential devastation of losing a loved one. One e-mail described a situation where a mother had to spend her entire maternity leave in hospital with her premature baby and is then forced to take unpaid leave or leave her job due to work places refusing additional leave. Financial burdens should never be placed on mothers or fathers, especially in cases where a baby is born prematurely. When it comes to the level of pay mandated by law, Ireland ranks at the very bottom of the European league, along with Slovakia. The amount paid to mothers over a relatively long period of leave falls well below 66% of normal earnings. Year on year, in our alternative budget, we include provision for an increase in maternity benefit and an extension of maternity leave. In our alternative budget for 2017, we provided for an increase of €40 in maternity benefit and an extension of two weeks to maternity leave. This should be looked at in every Government budget. This motion provides the Government with an opportunity to take a positive step and a much more compassionate approach to improve maternity practices in Ireland. I welcome the fact the Government is not going to oppose this motion. Hopefully, it can be moved forward to the next step.

Deputy Denise Mitchell

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion this evening on the very positive action to help parents at their most vulnerable. As other speakers have mentioned, 4,500 babies are born prematurely each year, and this affects thousands of parents and family members. It can happen to any family. This motion is simply recognising the reality of childbirth and maternity leave. There are complex health issues when a child is born prematurely. There is emotional pressure, and there is often a financial burden on parents. With all these issues, parents often find out that their maternity leave is up and that they have to return to work. The rigid, inflexible current welfare system does not identify this reality that many parents face. It does not recognise parents at one of the most difficult times. Greater flexibility is required in this area of welfare to help these parents. It is in the Minister's power to ensure we change this legislation and ensure parents are given the time they need so that the thousands of parents affected every year can be helped through a very emotional and difficult time. This motion will allow us to lead and set an example. Considering what all parents go through with premature babies, I plead that we act now.

Deputy Carol Nolan

Tá mé buíoch go bhfuil deis agam labhairt ar an rún seo anocht. I commend the Green Party and the Social Democrats for bringing forward this important and timely motion. There is an urgent need to extend the maternity benefit and maternity leave for mothers of premature babies in Ireland. As we know, 4,500 babies are born before 37 weeks across this State every year. This is a large group of parents who have a right to fairness when considering their rights to maternity benefit and leave. We believe that maternity leave and benefit should be extended, recognising that these mothers will need extra time to spend with their children at home to care for and bond with them. The needs of mothers and their premature babies must be the primary consideration in tonight's debate, and Sinn Féin is happy to support this motion. We also believe there needs to be investment in maternity services across this State, as it is estimated that we need 600 midwives to achieve basic safety levels. We also have the lowest level of obstetricians per 100,000 across all OECD countries. While this is not part of the debate this evening, nevertheless it is an important connected matter and I urge the Government to take action on those particular issues.

Deputy Willie Penrose

The Labour Party is very happy to wholeheartedly and unequivocally support the motion from the Green Party this evening. We congratulate it on bringing this forward and Deputy Catherine Martin on a compelling contribution. I am glad that the Government will embrace the objective and thrust of this motion and ensure that it is enacted into law as quickly as possible. I also join in the welcome extended to the people in the Gallery, who are here to ensure we get the message. There is no doubt mothers across Ireland are watching us carefully to ensure that we reflect their views.

I welcome this motion because it matches many of the commitments of the Labour Party to improve maternal care in Ireland. A mark of a country is how it treats pregnant women and cares for families at times when pressures can be extremely stressful and daunting for all concerned.

In the wake of a number of terrible preventable tragedies, Ireland has made some progress in advancing the rights and protections for pregnant women with the enactment of the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Act 2013. Much work remains to be done and we need to implement the recommendations of the national maternity strategy. My colleague, Deputy Sean Sherlock, raised in the House two weeks ago the fact that many mothers in our country still cannot get access to 20 week foetal scans. Deputy Sherlock's amendment to the Health (Amendment) Bill 2017 would have seen every pregnant woman in the State guaranteed foetal anomaly scans regardless of their geography. Currently only a third of women in Ireland are getting access to these critically important scans.

We also need to ensure higher compliance with internationally recognised ratios of staff to patients and that means hiring more obstetricians, gynaecologists and midwives. We have to build new maternity hospitals, replacing Limerick, Holles St., the Rotunda and the Coombe, and we need massive capital expenditure in those areas. We need to introduce a new health and well-being approach to prenatal and post-natal care with the establishment of specific mother and baby clinics within primary care centres.

In government we provided for two weeks of paid paternity leave and it is time to consider extending this to incorporate the circumstances of premature babies. The next policy change we want to see is the provision of three months' paid parental leave on top of existing entitlements. These months could be shared between both parents to ensure that every child can be properly cared for in the family home over the first nine months of life.

The Minister provided an extra €5 weekly increase in the budget, which was welcome. We also believe it is time to commission a review of the level of payment given for maternity, paternity and parental leave to ensure they remain sufficient for the needs of modern families. The Minister might consider that proposal, alongside this motion.

Many of us have received letters and e-mails over the past week from mothers and fathers who are parents of pre-term babies. I thank everyone who communicated with us on this important issue, which reflects the benefits that this significant change will have when enacted. These people are simply asking for help during what is a difficult time and want to ensure they get to spend the maximum time possible with their babies.

I also congratulate the charity, Irish Premature Babies, for their advocacy work on this. They have a very simple goal, to support families when they are going through one of the most difficult journeys in their life, with their tiny baby in a neonatal intensive care unit. They are asking to extend the period of statutory maternity leave and maternity benefit for mothers of premature babies by the length of time between the delivery date of the baby and either the date the baby would have been delivered, if full term, or the date of the baby leaving hospital, whichever is the later. It also calls for this extension to be in addition to the current entitlement to 26 weeks' maternity leave and maternity benefit and the additional 16 weeks' unpaid maternity leave under the Maternity Acts 1994 and 2004. We are talking about extending maternity benefit and leave by the number of weeks by which a baby is born early so that the mother gets to spend that time, when often a baby is at its most vulnerable, with her baby.

Every year nearly 4,500 babies are born prematurely, that is before 37 weeks' gestation. It is important to say that in the context of nearly 70,000 births per year we are talking about just 6% of births in Ireland. In total it is not a lot of people but for those parents it is the beginning of what can be a difficult, demanding and worrying, long journey. It is tough enough being a new parent without the worry, stress, fears and concerns that come with a premature baby, and the stress that puts on a family. Significant costs are also incurred, including for accommodation. As the Minister will know, maternity benefit begins immediately when a baby is born prematurely. Very often, expecting mothers go on leave two weeks before their due date but the mother of a premature baby does not have that time. The law currently gives 26 weeks' paid leave and a further 16 weeks' unpaid leave but the law does nothing to take into account babies who are born early. Some premature babies can spend months in hospital, leaving a very short time for a mother and her new baby to bond when they get home. It is not unusual to spend up to four months in hospital, leaving just two months at home for the mother and baby, due to the rigidity and inflexibility of our legislative framework.

There is a provision in law already, namely section 7 of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) Act 2004, that allows the postponement of maternity leave in strict circumstances, that is, if a baby is hospitalised. As has been pointed out, however, there are difficulties with this for various reasons. An employer has the right to refuse a postponement. In addition, the postponement does not take into account a mother's health status, and the possibility that she may be unable to return to work after surgery or illness. Moreover, many pre-term babies are transferred from their local unit to one of the four tertiary neonatal units with specialised neonatal care for the tiniest and sickest pre-term babies and most parents will leave their home in these cases and follow their baby to the transferred neonatal unit. It is not plausible for a mother to return to work if she is miles away from her home.

The case is clear for changing the law. There is much more I can say but the Green Party, in particular Deputy Catherine Martin, has outlined the relevant points of the motion. The Minister for Social Protection is due to bring a social welfare and pensions Bill to the house soon and I encourage him to consider bringing in this important change at that stage. This change will be administered by the Department of Social Protection so there is no need to put it on the long finger. We are not talking about a lot of money here as the full-year cost would be approximately €5.4 million. The Social Insurance Fund is on target and unemployment is falling rapidly, with Department of Social Protection spending for the first three months of the year €26 million below target. A simple amendment to the PRSI benefit scheme would accommodate this very important and desirable change. I am sure the Minister could find a few bob down the back of a sofa in Áras Mhic Dhiarmada to fund this without any undue difficulty. This is a measure that would be of immense help to mothers across Ireland and would be widely welcomed. If he is not prepared to do it now, I urge the Minister at the very least to ensure this is included in next year’s budget this autumn.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Deputies Ruth Coppinger and Bríd Smith are sharing seven and a half minutes.

Deputy Ruth Coppinger

Solidarity supports this motion from the Green Party. The position of women who give birth to premature babies is not satisfactory and it highlights the lack of provision in general for pregnant women in this country. As the motion points out, a woman can defer her maternity leave but that is completely impractical given the fact that premature babies will often be in neonatal units and are more likely to have health complications. The women themselves are also more likely to require medical attention.

There is also a strong class and poverty dimension to premature births and the Institute of Public Health has stated that socioeconomic deprivation is independently associated with both premature delivery and babies being born underdeveloped. Children born to mothers in the lowest income group are 42% more likely to be born light than those in the highest income group so the need for a provision for such mothers is clear. In Britain the Trades Union Congress, TUC, carried out a survey of maternity leave in EU member states. It defined decently paid maternity as two thirds of income, or €1,000 per month. Ireland is one of only three member states which does not have decently paid maternity leave. The rate of maternity benefit is just €235 per week for six months and there are 16 weeks unpaid leave. While the Labour Party is supporting this, when Deputy Joan Burton was Minister for Social Protection in 2014 she cut maternity benefit.

We are calling for a number of measures that would immediately improve the position of mothers and fathers. The emphasis on unpaid leave is extremely unhelpful and puts low-paid working women at a distinct disadvantage. It also puts single women at a distinct disadvantage, which is why Solidarity is critical of the newly announced policy of the Social Democrats with its emphasis on unpaid leave for six months. We believe maternity leave has to be paid leave. Maternity benefit is also far too low and Ireland does not link maternity benefit to a person's income. The payment should be raised to at least €300 immediately.

While researching for this debate I was informed by one woman that she had to fight hard to get her employer to pay her a top-up which she was owed. She was initially refused and the employer told her it would lead to a rash of pregnancies in the company. It should be mandatory for employers to top up maternity leave but currently only 38% of bosses do so. These are generally larger workplaces where there is a union whereas low pay, precarious, non-unionised workplaces are less likely to have these arrangements.

We also call for more leave for fathers because currently paternity leave is just two weeks. That is not adequate and the practice in other countries includes shared leave.

However, shared leave should not be done in a way that takes away from a woman's leave which must be a guaranteed amount.

There is a major gender inequality in sick leave and pregnancy rules. Workers who have to take leave due to pregnancy - no woman who has been pregnant has not had some complication - must take their sick leave from their general sick leave entitlement. Unfortunately, the EU despite what we hear backed up a case taken by a woman a couple of years ago. There is clear discrimination against women and it puts them at a distinct advantage to men. There should be a separate sick leave allowance for pregnancy-related illness.

In Ireland a woman is also entitled to maternity leave if she has had a miscarriage after 24 weeks' gestation but nothing if it is before this time. Those are some of the issues.

Deputy Bríd Smith

I welcome the motion and congratulate Deputy Catherine Martin on tabling it. I attended today's briefing and some very moving and emotive circumstances apply to these people, some of whom have come into the Gallery. Obviously, we support the motion and regard such extension of maternity leave as a very practical aid for families and particularly mothers dealing with a traumatic time in their lives. I echo everything that was said; of course we should extend the period of statutory maternity leave and maternity benefit for mothers of premature babies, by the length of time between the delivery date of the baby and the date the baby would have been delivered if full term was achieved.

I reiterate the point made by others that in general we should do more for mothers and families. It has always been a deep irony that many in this Government and previous Governments who profess to be pro-family and pro-life often fall short of seeing a regime that actually does its best to support mothers and families. Deputy Burton cutting maternity benefit in the previous Government is one of the worst recent examples of that.

We come in at second from bottom of all European countries in the number of weeks of maternity leave and the amount of maternity benefit we grant. A British academic study found that an employee generally receives about 66% of her normal earnings or more but that is not what happens here and certainly not in the private sector. Private sector employers have no obligation to pay women any top-up while on maternity leave. That also must change.

Instead of making employers do as they do in other European countries the State steps in to pay €235 a week in maternity benefit for 26 weeks. While, of course, this is correct, pressure should be applied to private enterprise to pay up for maternity leave. In fact, sometimes it is the opposite. I know many women whose contracts were not renewed because they fell pregnant. It is very difficult to prove, but it often happens to women in this country in this day and age. We do not really legally enforce maternity pay. I believe private capitalists are being let off the hook and they should be made to pay their share.

We support a woman's right to choose and that is on the record of this House. That means the choice to have a child or to terminate a pregnancy. Making the choice to have a child means society has to put proper economic, social and health care provision in place for the mother, the child and the family in general. Unfortunately, based on the country's record of homelessness and the number of families in hotels every night, this is not the case. That is the sort of thing we need to aspire to. Deputy Catherine Martin's motion plays some role in moving towards that. I am not surprised that this is coming from someone on the pro-choice side. I congratulate Deputy Catherine Martin on tabling the motion.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

I call Deputy Joan Collins who is sharing time with Deputy Connolly.

Deputy Joan Collins

I thank Deputy Catherine Martin for tabling this very important motion. It is a very important aspect of child rearing from the point of view of women, their families and their extended families in dealing with premature births. The motion proposes the a change in the current status of maternity leave for mothers of premature babies; maternity leave will begin when the baby is delivered, but an extension of maternity leave will be added for the time spent in the neonatal unit. That is a very important point of the motion.

It calls on Government to extend the period of statutory maternity leave and maternity benefit for mothers of premature babies, by the length of time between the delivery date of the baby and either the date the baby would have been delivered if full-term or the date of the baby leaving hospital, whichever is later, and that this extension be in addition to the current entitlement to 26 weeks maternity leave and maternity benefit and the additional 16 weeks unpaid maternity leave under the Maternity Acts 1994 and 2004. It also calls for an extension to the paternity leave in those circumstances.

Depending on the complications, some pre-term babies need to stay in the neonatal unit for weeks or months. This inevitably means that when a pre-term baby is discharged from the neonatal unit, the mother may have very little maternity leave left to spend with her baby at home. If a baby is born at 23 weeks, 12 to 14 weeks of the mother's maternity leave will be taken up, which would only leave ten to 12 weeks of her official maternity leave. Mothers of pre-term babies do not get to spend their full maternity leave at home with a premature baby. The figure is approximately 4,500 per year which is a very small number. This is a long-standing problem that needs to be rectified for families affected by pre-term birth.

Extensive global research has shown that maternity leave has a significant positive effect on the health and mental well-being of mothers, babies, fathers, partners, families and communities. These benefits are physical, psychological, social and economic.

Section 7 of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) Act 2004 provides for the postponement of maternity leave in strict circumstances - if the baby is hospitalised. However, there are difficulties associated with a postponement. An employer has the right to refuse a postponement. This postponement does not take into account the mother's health status. She may not be able to return to work after surgery or illness. Mothers are actively encouraged to express breast milk for the pre-term babies and this needs to be done every two to three hours. Those circumstances must be taken into account and given specific status regarding pre-term babies.

Many pre-term babies are transferred from their local unit to one of the four tertiary neonatal units with specialised neonatal care for the tiniest and sickest pre-term babies. Most parents will leave their home following the transfer to a neonatal unit. In this situation, it is not plausible for a mother to return to work if she is miles away from her home.

The last four points of the motion are particularly important. They call on the Government to provide additional financial support, where necessary, for the families of premature babies, in relation to travel and accommodation costs, so the family unit can stay together; ensure that forms and information on maternity leave and related benefits are available in all neonatal units; publish advice for all employers about how to best support parents of premature babies; and require employers to have a policy in place for supporting parents of premature babies. It is good that the Government is accepting the motion, but the devil is in the detail. We are not talking about a hell of a lot of money in this. I hate to see the word "cost" being put in there; it is not really necessary.

Deputy Catherine Connolly

Níl drogall ar bith orm mo thacaíocht a thabhairt don rún seo. Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an gComhaontas Glas. I have no hesitation in supporting the motion. I congratulate the Green Party and the Social Democrats on tabling this very comprehensive motion. While I hope it will not become a pattern, for the second time in a number of weeks, I find myself praising the Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, who unfortunately is not in the Chamber. It is my second time praising him for accepting a concept that he is going to work on.

However, I am somewhat concerned at the warning about costs. Perhaps the Minister of State, Deputy Corcoran Kennedy, who is in the House, might come back to that. We are talking about a very finite number of people - 4,500 premature babies, which is one in 16 births. It is a very small number and a very small cost. As I said previously, in this new politics we need to ask what the cost of not doing it would be.

I have said it about mental health and domestic violence. The actual cost of not doing something is worth billions of euro to the economy. With premature babies the actual cost includes that of the stress involved. I accept that every family is affected differently and every child born prematurely could have between no problems and a whole range of problems. Dr. John Murphy, Clinical Lead for Neonatology at the National Maternity Hospital, captured it when he stated:

Family centred and developmentally supportive care is becoming more recognised as an essential attribute of high-quality neonatal and family care. Infants and families who must traverse the [NICU] deserve the quality of care that this care giving philosophy demands by providing an environment for the family that is comfortable, safe and supportive of their individual needs.

Perhaps the Minister of State will keep that in mind when looking at costs from a tunnel vision point of view rather than what would be saved were legislation to be introduced following this motion. I would say that Dr. Murphy's words have a broader application but tonight's debate relates to premature babies alone. There would be a huge cost saving if we broadened out the concept of cost rather than having a tunnel vision approach.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Deputies Michael Harty, Danny Healy-Rae and Mattie McGrath have a total of 7.5 minutes.

Deputy Michael Harty

I will speak in favour of the motion. The Rural Independent Group is also fully in favour of the motion. I thank Deputy Catherine Martin for tabling it.

Care of family and children is enshrined in our Constitution and the birth of a baby is the most significant event in a family's life journey. The proper care and nurturing of a baby by bonding between mother and baby is critical to the development of the emotional and caring relationship between them for life. Premature babies may have physical life-threatening problems, as outlined in the motion, which require intensive care both in hospital and at home. It is important that mothers are as closely involved as possible in the care of their children and are given the time to do so. As part of our society's values, which include compassion and understanding, we must create the time and space for mothers of premature babies to recover physically and emotionally while being given the time to care for their babies or baby.

I wish to make a point on substantial prematurity. Some babies are now surviving although they were born as early as at 23 weeks gestation. At the moment, babies who are in utero at 23 weeks have protection under the Constitution but they may lose that protection should the eighth amendment be repealed. In England, a 23 week old foetus has no rights as a person. It acquires full legal status and protection only if born alive. The motion concerns all the supports that the State can provide to look after a baby born at 23 weeks. Should the 23 week old unborn foetus not have the same human rights and be protected from termination of pregnancy when that baby has the potential for a full and healthy life? Should we not pull out all the stops to protect a 23 week old unborn foetus just as we now propose to do to protect the life of a baby born at 23 weeks? We have to protect our babies, whether they are born or unborn, at 23 weeks. We must also protect their mothers and give them time to look after them when they are born.

Deputy Danny Healy-Rae

I, too, congratulate Deputy Catherine Martin for tabling this important motion. She has put a lot of work into it. It is a great evening to be an elected Member of this Dáil given the unanimity on the motion. The birth of a baby, whether born prematurely or at the correct time, is a joy and a wonder. It is a treasure for the parents to see a young baby come into the world. Today is a positive day given that we are speaking about protecting and saving a 23 week old baby rather than having motions and attempts to provide for abortion and getting rid of a little baby at that very same age. Parents who have a premature baby experience an emotional pressure as they hope and pray for the baby to live. There is also a financial pressure. We must look at the law as it is and ensure that parents are supported and mothers are given the time to recover at home and bond with their baby, which is very important. It was very moving to see the slide in the AV room today of Baby Patrick who was born perhaps only 1 lb in weight. That baby lived and is now three years old. I fully support the motion and again thank Deputy Catherine Martin for tabling it.

Deputy Mattie McGrath

I am delighted to speak here tonight and to support this very important motion. I compliment Deputy Catherine Martin and the Green Party for introducing the motion. Tá fíor-fháilte roimh na daoine sa Gallery - daoine óga agus na parents. I am delighted to welcome them. I met them earlier in the AV room and elsewhere. It is wonderful to see little babies and to hear the sounds of the little babies. There is wondrous sound here this evening from the Gallery.

I have raised this issue a number of times over the past few years since I first became aware of the full reality of premature birth when my first granddaughter was born in 2014. My granddaughter, Amy, was born 10 weeks prematurely and spent three months in hospital, two months of which were spent in a neonatal intensive care unit in a hospital that was more than one hour from her home. During this time my daughter and son-in-law had to live in a home away from home in Cork. They were accommodated in the wonderful facility that is Brú Columbanus which allowed them to be near their daughter in hospital. In this regard, their life was to a certain extent put on hold. Had they not had access to Brú Columbanus, which many families in other cities do not have, they would have had hefty accommodation or travel bills to comprehend, adding additional stress to an already stressful situation. When Amy was finally discharged after three months in hospital, she was just two weeks corrected but she continued to have a number of extra care needs to those of a newborn baby as she was tube fed and still on a lot of medication. At this stage, my daughter had just three months left on maternity leave, much of which was spent attending hospital and doctors’ appointments. On discharge, they were advised not to put Amy into child care until she was at least three years old due to her compromised health, yet my daughter was expected to return to work in just three short months or take unpaid leave to care for her daughter.

Not alone does this highlight the need to extend maternity leave for parents of premature babies, it also highlights a wider societal issue where there is little or no supports for families that care for their children in their home. Many parents of premature or sick children do not have an option but to care for their children at home. The only child care supports available to them are to put their children into child care but this simply is not an option. While I am fully supportive of this motion, my only concern is that it does not go far enough and focuses solely on premature babies by extending maternity leave for the length of time that the child spends in the neonatal unit. Many full-term babies can spend weeks and months in a neonatal unit or children’s hospital if they are born with heart disease or other complications. These parents are no different to parents of premature babies as they have to endure the same hardships and the same stresses associated with having a sick baby. I believe that the payment should be extended by the length of time that any child spends in a neonatal unit regardless of whether they were born prematurely.

It would be remiss of me not to mention the fact that this once again brings us back to the failings associated with the National Children’s Hospital. The lack of, or delay in having, a co-located maternity hospital beside our children’s hospital will continue to have an appalling impact on the lives of our premature children as many of them will continue to have to be transferred from our maternity hospitals to children’s hospitals for treatment, thereby separating mothers and their babies, both of whom could be critically ill, and putting these children at unnecessary risk.

The shortage of the Ronald McDonald beds at the new hospital will also put additional financial strain on families.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Go raibh maith agat, a Theachta.

Deputy Mattie McGrath

Cúpla soicind, please.

We must as a society and as a Government take time to examine all of these matters. We must continue to improve our maternity services, our provision of perinatal hospice care throughout the country, our supports for families who have children born with extra care needs and our supports for families who care for their children at home.

Deputy Catherine Murphy

It is no small thing to deliver a baby. While that statement may seem obvious, the enormity of childbirth creates a degree of trauma, which is sometimes lost on people. It is fine when everything goes well but an unexpected development, for example, a premature birth with considerable medical intervention, adds significantly to this trauma.

I should correct two statements made by previous speakers. The Social Democrats have been lauded for helping with this motion. While my party is supportive of the motion and is in the same group as the Green Party, it was drawn up exclusively by the Green Party. I do not wish to take credit for work done by someone else.

On another matter, Deputy Coppinger stated she disagreed with the Social Democrats on legislation on parental leave we introduced earlier this week. While we would have liked to have gone further, unfortunately, opposition parties are precluded under the Constitution from introducing money Bills or legislation that imposes a charge on the Exchequer. It is important to point out, therefore, that we could not introduce a Bill that would give rise to a charge.

Maternity leave was developed to allow new mothers not only to bond with their children, but also to take time to parent effectively, develop routines, gain confidence and so forth. Developing routines is a vital part of feeling sufficiently confident to leave the most precious thing one has to return to work. Women participate in the workforce to a much greater degree than previously and we must cater for and manage this change. Returning to work is one of the most difficult decisions young mothers can make. One frequently hears mothers speak of the trauma of returning to work. They often use holidays to extend their maternity leave, sometimes at great financial cost, because they do not feel ready to return to work.

Many other European Union countries, specifically the Nordic countries, have much more sophisticated maternity leave systems in place. They provide much longer periods of paid leave, in some cases up to three years after the birth of a child. In the changed, modern environment, fathers have thankfully become an increasing part of the bonding process and routine setting period that must be factored into leave. While our Bill on paternity leave is modest, it would extend the period of parental leave available to mothers and fathers.

Most mothers find themselves in a position in which they must return to work for economic reasons and they often do so much sooner than they would like. However, when a woman delivers prematurely, she and her baby require additional time. In the first instance, both the mother and baby need medical care. Moreover, when a woman worries about losing time at work and managing economically, these concerns add to an already stressful situation.

An important part of the motion is the extension of maternity leave to the original delivery date or the date on which the baby leaves hospital. This is a sensible provision. A premature birth requires significant additional care for the mother and baby and in many cases the pre-term period can involve extensive and intensive medical care, during which the mother does not get sufficient rest and recovery and the bonding and parenting period for which maternity leave is intended is largely absent. Premature delivery is not unusual, with one in 16 women in Ireland delivering prematurely. Women who have premature babies should not be terrified of losing valuable time with their new baby, either because nature or medicine has intervened and disrupted the timing that many of take for granted. The emotional and physical trauma of premature birth should not be compounded by parents worrying that the weeks of maternity leave they expected to have for bonding, fun and learning are to be lost.

Deputies who have given birth will remember the day on which they took their first child home. This experience is terrifying enough in the case of a child who is of average size and whose health is not compromised. It is much more terrifying when the baby is very small and may have compromised health. The civilised approach is to cater for such circumstances in the maternity and paternity regime.

The old cliché that we know the cost of everything and the value of nothing applies. We should know the value of this eminently sensible and necessary proposal which I hope the Government will accept.

I hope the House will agree to allow Deputy Eugene Murphy to use the rest of the time available to me.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Is that agreed? Agreed.

Deputy Eugene Murphy

I sincerely thank my namesake, Deputy Catherine Murphy, for allowing me to use the remainder of her time. I chaired the first part of this debate, which has been fantastic. I commend Deputy Catherine Martin on introducing the motion. Her address was delivered with great passion and emotion and was special. Every Deputy spoke with passion and there is a real desire among us to help parents of premature babies by changing the current position regarding maternity leave.

It is long past time that we acknowledged the plight of parents of premature children. I recall a mother telling me of her experience. Her baby arrived prematurely at 22 weeks weighing only 2 Ibs and 3 oz. She was so tiny she could fit in the palms of her parents' hands. She spent virtually the entire first seven months of life in hospital with either a parent or close family member. After four months, the mother's only option was to return to work and to this day she regrets having to leave her little girl behind. At the time, however, she did not have a choice. This is one ordinary, everyday example that explains the reason we must try to change the current position. While I had more to say on this issue, this example gets the message across that we would like to help the people affected. I am pleased the House has been able to accommodate the motion and that all sides, including the Government, are on board and will try to make the changes required to help them.

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy)

I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate on the important Green Party motion before the House. I acknowledge the presence of parents and their children who have joined us in the Gallery to hear the debate. I reiterate the point made by my colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality, Deputy David Stanton, that the Government is acutely aware of the different pressures that families with pre-term babies face and believe the State can and should support families at a time when the pressures of nurturing a new life can be daunting and stressful. The Government also believes in investing in a child's critical early years. We all know how important and life-defining these years are. For this reason, investment in early years is a recurring theme in the programme for partnership Government.

The Government will not oppose the motion and welcomes the initiative of the Deputies in question in providing us with this opportunity to highlight the issue and debate how best to respond. The Government expanded paid leave in the first year of a child's life in 2016 through the introduction of two weeks of statutory paternity leave and benefit for new fathers. The Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016 brought the number of weeks of paid support to parents upon the birth of a child to 28, comprising 26 weeks of maternity leave, two weeks of which must be taken before the birth, and two weeks of paternity leave.

When babies are born prematurely, bringing all the attendant concerns that have been outlined by Deputies, there is a particularly strong case to be made for expanding maternity leave on public policy grounds. The Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality has signalled in replies to several recent parliamentary questions that this is an issue she is open to considering in the context of the family leave Bill on which the Department is working.

A draft Bill has been produced, which needs to update various issues as my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Stanton said. The most important is the programme for Government commitment to increase paid parental leave during the first year of a child's life. Discussions have recently taken place between the relevant officials in the Departments of Justice and Equality and Social Protection and further discussion with other relevant Departments will take place shortly. The Minister intends to develop these policy proposals with Government colleagues in the coming weeks, include such proposals in the family leave Bill and have it published later this year.

The question of cost will be a key consideration in the context of forthcoming legislative proposals. I reiterate we believe the State should support families at a time the pressure of nurturing new life can be daunting and stressful. However, we need to closely examine the cost of any legislative proposals, including this one. This will be done in conjunction with the Departments of Social Protection and Public Expenditure and Reform. There is more work to be done before the Government is in position to suggest legislation on this point. The Department of Justice and Equality will closely consult the Departments of Health and Social Protection and other Departments in formulating precise proposals.

I understand Deputies Penrose, Nolan, Rabbitte and others suggested improvements to maternity leave and other family leave, including carer's leave and paternal leave. I am not in a position to respond to these issues but I assure the House that they can all be considered in the family leave Bill, which is intended to be published before the end of the year.

As the Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, mentioned earlier, the Government does not oppose the motion. Instead, we intend to address the substantive issue raised in the family leave Bill and I look forward to the support of the House when these proposals come to be debated.

Deputy Eamon Ryan

I thank my colleague, Deputy Catherine Martin. I also thank the Irish Premature Babies charity for the willingness of its members to share their stories and fight on behalf of other mothers, which it has been doing on a consistent basis. I am glad we were able to assist them in bringing their case to the House. I was stuck at a meeting of the Committee on Budgetary Oversight and I was unable to make it to their presentation in the audiovisual room earlier but everyone I talked to said it was a powerful and moving occasion. I thank them for attending the House and sharing those stories with us.

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Stanton. He is an advertisement for premature babies, 60 years on. I also thank the Minister for Justice and Equality for her presence and for her willingness to accept the motion. I would like to make a few points to nail down exactly what we are agreeing. This Chamber, by its nature, is adversarial. Motions are often agreed but there is a sense that one has scored a point but nothing will get done. This is a different motion, which has to have real effect. I am slightly concerned by the comments of both Ministers of State. I detected the Civil Service speak in their contributions with notes of caution and references to cost implications, further consideration, Attorney General's advice and so on. The proposal in the motion should be easily achieved before the year is out. We tabled it in a motion because, when in opposition, we are not able to introduce a money Bill but we are also concerned that if we tried to do this through legislation, it could get stuck in a slow and difficult legislative process. We thought one option might to be to include it in the finance or social welfare Bills connected to the 2018 budget because this has to be enacted in that timeframe to make that happen for next year.

The Minister of State, Deputy Corcoran Kennedy, said the proposal could be included in the family leave Bill, which is intended to help couples with adoptive leave and same-sex couples looking for benefits, and which I welcome. If it is possible to include it in that Bill and have it implemented in the timeframe we outlined, we would welcome and support that. The Department of Justice and Equality is under particular legislative pressure with an endless number of Bills in the queue and it is often difficult to secure Government time in the House. If an alternative approach can be taken through the budgetary process, as we have suggested, will the Minister consider it to make sure the proposal gets over the line and turns into a reality?

The second note of caution I detected related to cost implications and a differentiation in the contributions of both Ministers of State between a premature baby born at 23 or 24 weeks and a baby born at between 34 or even 37 weeks. The simplicity and clarity of the mechanism presented by Deputy Catherine Martin makes most sense. She said that this is about giving mothers time. The science is clear that every day before the arrival of a baby is vital for the baby, the parents and the rest of the family. If we start parcelling out and costing each week in respect of a premature baby, that would not reflect well on the State and how we value mothers and babies and, in particular, premature babies. The Government should stick with the approach that has been set out in the motion. The clarity of the taxation and benefit measures in our law should help in order that mothers are not trying to calculate which category of premature child they are in. It is medically recognised that a baby born at 37 weeks or less is premature. Let us treat them all the same.

Our estimate, when the social welfare benefits and other supports are included, is that the proposal would cost €5 million. The Secretaries General of the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform appeared at the meeting of the Committee on Budgetary Oversight and they batted off a €120 million charge that has not been covered for additional Garda pay and water charges and so on by saying the money would be found easily enough. If €120 million can be found easily enough, then let us find €5 million and extend the maternity leave system in a way that everyone would recognise as just.

The number of Members who contributed to the debate and who had personal stories about premature babies was remarkable. The one in 16 ratio emerged in every contribution with Members referring to a sister or someone at a sibling's workplace, or a mother they knew. We all relate to this experience. This proposal should be implemented quickly, whether that is through the family leave Bill in gestation, the finance Bill or another legislative proposal, as part of valuing motherhood, parenting and our young babies.

Deputy Catherine Martin

I thank the Members who contributed and I am delighted there is cross-party support for the motion. I am especially delighted for the mothers and fathers who are present in the Gallery to watch the debate as they seek a fairer system for mothers of premature babies. Present legislation and policy abjectly ignores, and is cruel in its disregard for, the huge unforeseen pressure and turmoil families face when caring for a premature baby. In some cases, parents from the country are compelled to travel for up to four hours on a daily commute to a neonatal intensive care unit. They incur significant expenses in medical care, accommodation, parking, transport and food and this puts severe stress on parents and their other children. At the time of a baby's arrival, parents' concerns, worries and anxieties are naturally focused on the baby's safe well-being and progress.

At that time, maternity leave and maternity benefit may be one of the last things on a mother's mind but it will not take long until the mother faces the reality of being treated by the State in a markedly different and unfair way compared to mothers fortunate enough to give birth to full-term babies. Under current legislation, a mother, despite being shattered and exhausted after this unexpected and prolonged rollercoaster experience, will have used up the majority of her maternity leave before her baby even makes the first long-awaited journey home. Extending maternity leave and maternity benefits for the mothers of premature babies, as we seek in this motion, will give the support needed at a time of such upheaval and stress. This in turn will lead to better post-natal health, a better outcome for the baby, and eventually a better and more positive return to work. It is truly awful that mothers are not getting this support already because when premature babies finally get discharged from hospital, they need their mothers more than ever and their mothers need to be with them too.

Tá deis againn anocht teacht le chéile chun tacaíocht a thabhairt do mháithreacha. Tá ríméad orm go bhfuil an chuma air go bhfuilimid ar tí an deis sin a thapú agus, mar sin, a léiriú gur féidir leis an bpolaitíocht nua an beart a dhéanamh. Is féidir linn fíordhifríocht a dhéanamh anocht do na glúnta atá le teacht.

The words of support spoken tonight offer hope and reassurance to thousands of mothers in Ireland. I welcome the words of support but words alone will not be enough. It is way past time for real, concrete action. Although I welcome the Government's support of this motion and its intention to address this issue in the family leave Bill, I ask it to treat the issue with a greater sense of urgency. I urge the Government to commit to providing for the extension of maternity leave and maternity benefit for mothers of premature babies in the budget this autumn. As mentioned earlier in the debate this evening, providing for this in the upcoming budget should come in at a cost of approximately €5.4 million. That is a relatively small cost that could make such an incredible difference for mothers of premature babies.

I conclude by saying if we are to truly cherish all of our nation's children, then we also need to cherish all mothers equally by supporting them in their devoted care for their children.

Question put and agreed to.