Micheál Martin promises reforms to help women in politics

Taoiseach Micheál Martin

Improving the rights of female politicians to enable them have children “needs to be looked at very seriously”, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has told his party.

At a private meeting of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party, Mr Martin said the current position on maternity leave in the Oireachtas, childcare and other issues for women in politics, need to be addressed.

He was speaking after Justice Minster Helen McEntee announced she is pregnant, thereby is set to be the first sitting Cabinet minister to have a baby while in office.

According to sources, Mr Martin said: “We need to modernise how the Oireachtas does its business. Reforms will be prioritised to support women in politics. 

"Taoiseach will work with the women’s caucus on this issue and it’s important that we bring progressive change on how parliament works.” 

The Taoiseach said that Constitutional change needs to be seriously considered on this issue to bring permanent and sustainable progress.

He was responding to calls from Cavan TD Niamh Smyth for legislation to be introduced.

She and Minister Anne Rabbitte have pioneered new laws to allow female politicians take some form of maternity leave.

At the same meeting of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party, TDs and Senators voiced their anger at the negative public reaction to opposing the paying of student nurses and then the Cabinet awarding pay hikes to judges and politicians.

Cork East TD James O’Connor said the damage to Fianna Fáil will be lasting from the student nurses issue. 

“We’ll be slaughtered in a general election. Our social media presence is appalling” he said.

Senator Malcolm Byrne told colleagues that the vista of salary increases for judges set against the refusal to pay student nurses “doesn’t look good” adding the party is on the “back foot”.

Cork North Central TD Padraig O’Sullivan says he agreed that damage has been done while Senator Eugene Murphy said mistakes had been made on refusing to pay nurses.

In response, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said he heard the upset of colleagues but said the issues facing the government are “complex”.

Mr Martin also told the meeting that a no deal brexit is a "strong possibility". He said the level playing field issue in Brexit talks is "problematic" and a big issue.