Holly Cairns tables bill to give local councillors family leave

Holly Cairns: "My mind is blown that this provision is not made for people having children". Photo: Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie

The Social Democrats have tabled a new bill that would legislate for family leave for local councillors.

The Bill would provide an entitlement for a member of a local authority to take leave from attending meetings of the authority as a consequence of maternity, paternity or an adoption.

At present, leave for six months has to be approved by a resolution of the local council and results in the person being deemed to have resigned from the council.

The new bill states that the "leave of absence under the relevant provisions... in so far as is practicable, be in a manner similar to an application by a member of the staff of that local authority for leave of absence".

Cork South West TD, Holly Cairns, is introducing the bill this week and says women on councils have had their wages docked and reputations damaged as a result of taking maternity leave.

"There is already poor representation of women in local and national government (because of maternity leave), and unfortunately it requires a referendum for the Dáil and Seanad but it can be done at Local Authority if there is political will to do that," Ms Cairns said.

When I was at Cork County Council, I met women who had had their families during that time, there was occasions their wages had been docked and reputations damaged on account of this.

"Councils do have mitigating circumstances, such as loss in the family, when you are not deemed absent, so my mind is blown that this provision is not made for people having children.

"It's not just about gender equality but it's about good governance."

Justice Minister Helen McEntee returned from maternity leave this week, the first sitting Cabinet minister to take such leave in the history of the State.

Ms Cairns, who was paired with Ms McEntee for votes, said "everyone agreed it was outrageous there was no provision for her to take leave," and that the Minister had shown "great leadership" in doing so. Minister of State Peter Burke formed a cross-party committee in relation to the issue which has yet to report back.

Every political party claims to want more women in Irish public life but no Govt party has acted to make maternity leave a reality.

It is time to stop playing lip service to gender equality and act, says @HollyCairnsTD, of her new maternity leave Bill.https://t.co/7a8krm5lUn

— Social Democrats (@SocDems) November 2, 2021

Ms Cairns noted: "It's 2021, we know what we have to do, so I hope we see political will to carry this through.

"This was one of the first things I've done since I got here, this is a year of work and it's all there for the government to bring it through."

Ms Cairns added that Ireland's "older parties" seem to have a cultural issue with women.

"It seems there is a cultural issue in the older parties in Ireland, we don't see enough women joining and getting elected but we see women put on tickets to hit the quota but not get elected," she added.