Ivana Bacik confirms she left Trinity role when she became Labour leader

Ms Bacik had said that she believed career breaks were positives across employment

Ms Bacik was on a career break from the university when she was elected to the Dáil last summer. File photo

Labour leader Ivana Bacik has confirmed that she has resigned from her role as an associate professor at Trinity College Dublin.

Ms Bacik was on a career break from the university when she was elected to the Dáil last summer, but has confirmed that she handed in her notice when she was elected the 14th leader of the party in March.

Ms Bacik had been entitled to take up to five years as a career break and had said that she believed career breaks were positives across employment.

A statement today said: “I can confirm that upon my election as leader of the Labour Party, I gave my notice to Trinity College Dublin. I am proud of my long connection with Trinity and grateful for having had the opportunity to avail of a career break previously. 

"I believe that such opportunities should be afforded to those in the private as well as the public sector. It’s so important that we facilitate and enable everyone, men but especially women, to run for public office and to engage in democratic political activity without being penalised in the workplace.” 

 Ms Bacik had said during her election campaign last year in the Dublin Bay South by-election that she would not be “double-jobbing”.