Plans to split paid parental leave set to be rejected

The Government has rejected proposals that would allow parents to split paid maternity leave.

The changes, proposed by Fianna Fáil’s Lisa Chambers and Fiona O’Loughlin, would especially benefit self-employed women or families who simply want to share the entitlement.

All women are entitled to 26 weeks’ maternity leave together with 16 weeks’ additional unpaid leave.

The Shared Maternity Leave and Benefit Bill 2018 would follow countries including Denmark, Sweden, and Britain in giving mothers the option of splitting this leave with their partner, if they so wish.

Ms Chambers said: “This legislation was drafted following conversations with countless women and mothers who, for a variety of reasons, wanted to share their maternity entitlements with their partners. In some instances it was for financial reasons — many self-employed mothers felt they couldn’t take the full entitlement and felt it would be easier for their partner to take the leave.

“Other families want to share to leave for entirely personal reasons, or if they want the father to play a more active role in the child’s life. Fundamentally, we believe that this bill supports a woman’s right to shape her own professional and personal life as she sees fit.”

Ms O’Loughlin pointed to studies that show fathers who spend more time with their children early on in their life continue to do so throughout their childhood.

“Furthermore, we believe this bill will go a long way towards changing the status quo, removing the assumption that women will take on the bulk of domestic work, a belief which is harmful both in terms of how employers see female employees and which also places an unfair burden on women,” she said.

It is understood that Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty will oppose the bill today as she believes it is legally flawed.

The Government has also raised concerns that splitting leave could go against an EU directive that stipulates mothers must be given at least 14 consecutive weeks off.

Separately last night, Ms Doherty introduced an amendment to the Pensions Act which will benefit same-sex couples. The amendment will extend a right of entitlement to spousal pension benefits, in certain circumstances, to same-sex couples who missed out on the benefits of subsequent legislative reforms.

“The spirit of equality which propelled the recent partnership reforms also compels us to retrospectively apply a similar just approach and I am delighted to progress that here,” she said.

Meanwhile, agreement has been reached on a contract for the provision of abortions as well as the payment for doctors who provide termination services from the beginning of next year.

Doctors will be paid €100 for a patient’s first consultation but will receive €300 for combined termination procedure and aftercare.

The majority of terminations up to nine weeks’ gestation will take place in community settings and the HSE will offer contracts to doctors who agree to provide abortion services.

Health Minister Simon Harris said: “The agreement of this contract is a significant step in the detailed preparations for the introduction of termination of pregnancy services at the beginning of January.”