Government urged to act on miscarriage leave after Foley

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

Children’s Minister Norma Foley has been accused of “kicking the can” over paid leave after miscarriages, as she expressed for the measure but said it was a matter for the Department of Public Expenditure.

Currently, women are entitled to full maternity leave if they have a stillbirth or miscarriage after 24 weeks.

However, the Labour party said that many women and men are familiar with the devastation that results from an early miscarriage, adding that women have had to take annual leave to “recover from the heartache and the physical effects of this experience”.

It has brought forward a Reproductive Health Related Leave Bill, which would provide for any woman who suffers an early miscarriage to have paid time off to recover.

In March, the UK government agreed to ensure bereavement leave covers miscarriage, after a “gap in ” was identified for those who experience pregnancy loss.

Asked if she would paid leave for women who suffer miscarriages, Ms Foley said: “Absolutely.”

However, the minister said it was not within her gift to grant.

“I absolutely would but I respect that a minister has to go to the [Department of Public Expenditure and Reform] in relation to that and that argument has to be brought out.

The Fianna Fáil minister added: “We are seeking, from a gender point of view, to give maximum opportunity to all, including women.

“So that’s in of employment, in of their health, that’s in of ing them in every opportunity.

“So obviously I would be very ive of that but it would be a matter for another minister to get that one over the line, but I would be very ive of it.”

Asked about Ms Foley’s comments, Labour health spokeswoman Marie Sherlock said: “The amount of can-kicking when it comes to providing what is ultimately comionate leave for women in the workplace is unbelievable.

“Labour published a Bill to provide paid time off work to recover physically and emotionally from pregnancy loss.

“Rather than the Department of Children kicking it to the Department of Public Expenditure and so on, why can’t Fine Gael and Fianna Fail just make good on their commitment to women to progress Labour’s Bill?”

She said the previous Fine Gael and Fianna Fail Government commissioned a report in January last year which recommended the introduction of policies to provide time off work following pregnancy loss before 24 weeks.

Ms Sherlock added: “How much longer will they make women wait?

“Yes, offering paid miscarriage leave s gender equity, but crucially, specifying miscarriage leave is an acknowledgment of this enormous loss that so many women experience.

“It will reduce the silence around pregnancy loss and ensure that women have access to leave when it matters most.

“Since the introduction of the Labour Party Bill, I have been inundated with women sharing their experience of loss.

“The majority of these cases are unexpected. It is a profoundly sad and devastating experience and it demands attention from this Government.”