Maria McCormack
Labour Panel · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“I thank the Minister for coming in. I note that the aim of this Bill is to take the current eligibility criteria for social housing and put them on a statutory footing, and to create a new appeals mechanism for those refused access to social housing.”
“While Sinn Féin wants flexibility in the planning rules to allow families to provide freestanding extensions in back gardens for family members, we do not support allowing these structures to be rented out, nor do we support denying people tenancy rights and protections when they are renting them out.”
“Given the complex legal issues involved in appeals such as legal residency, habitual residency and social housing support, it would have been better to have a single, independent appeals office located in the Housing Agency similar to how social welfare appeals operate.”
“I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. This Bill comprises a long, technical and complex series of amendments to the Planning and Development Act 2024. It is unfortunate that it is being rushed through the Houses at breakneck speed and without proper scrutiny.”
“The Minister can talk about viability all he wants but, really, all he is doing is making these developments more profitable while reducing living standards. It will not help to increase supply or bring down prices.”
“Many people living in Graiguecullen are asking the simple question, "What problem is this scheme actually trying to solve?" Residents are worried that a €3 million project could reduce road capacity, increase congestion around schools, make life more difficult for old people and people living with disabilities and negatively impact local…”
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“We should be investing our energies and resources in conflict resolution rather than conflict participation. Ireland must remain militarily unaligned, but that does not mean that we are morally neutral or afraid to take action to punish Russia for its illegal actions. We should be taking actions in response to clear breaches of international law. Ireland can and should be advocating for economic and diplomatic sanctions and working to facilitate peace talks. Peace will, hopefully, be delivered before too long although when and on what terms we do not know yet. However, there will undoubtedly be a need to support the Ukrainian people further in rebuilding their country and repairing the damage of the Russian invasion.”
“This conflict urgently needs to come to an end, with countless lives being destroyed every day this war continues. All parties involved, including the European Union and the United States, have crucial roles to play in bringing an end to this conflict by putting the lives and well-being of the people above their own narrow geopolitical interests. Ireland has rightly supported the Ukrainian people amid the crisis caused by Russia's illegal invasion and should continue to use our neutral position to call for a sustainable, permanent and just outcome to this war through a negotiated peace settlement. Our status as a neutral country is a valuable tool in supporting the peace process in Ukraine while providing us with an opportunity to identify breaches in international law, occupation, annexation and military aggression where they exist.”
“I commend Fianna Fáil for bringing forward this motion and the amendments by Senators Stephenson and Higgins. We extend our solidarity to the people of Ukraine who have endured the most horrific three and a half years imaginable and who have faced this invasion with tremendous resolve and courage. Hundreds of thousands of people, including many women and children, have been killed. Ukraine's infrastructure and economy have been devastated. Russia's attacks on the civilian population, as well on medical facilities and electrical infrastructure, are nothing short of war crimes and have to be condemned in the strongest way possible. It has been horrific in every sense of the word as we have looked on. Putin's invasion cannot be defended.”
“I wish to give a special mention to the Ukrainian choir that has been set up locally in Portlaoise. It is fantastic and brings so much love and light to our community. Like other Senators have said, with the mixture in our schools and so on, it has been such a positive experience for us. For all the Ukrainians coming over here, it is at a time when they are in dire distress, but they can bring so much light to our communities. However, it is our job as a neutral country to protect where we can. I welcome the ambassador to the House. Since February 2022, Russia has been inflicting death and destruction on Ukrainian people on an immense scale, resulting in the mass displacement of millions of people, widespread human rights abuses and the clear attempt by Russia to expand its own territory at the power and expense of its neighbours.”
“I am calling for an urgent debate in the Seanad on women's health, especially endometriosis, because women's health must be prioritised and not pushed aside once again.”
“A few weeks ago, the Minister for Health indicated that she was listening and might finally take action, so I was gobsmacked to discover that there was no funding allocation in the budget for endometriosis specialist care. This disease affects one in ten women, yet there are women who are still waiting over a decade for a diagnosis, travelling abroad for surgery and paying out of pocket for private treatment because the public system simply does not provide the care they need. We need to see specialist multidisciplinary centres established and properly funded, clear referral pathways so women are not bounced from one doctor to another, training for GPs and front-line staff to recognise and respond to symptoms, and investment in research and public awareness so that this condition is finally treated with the seriousness it deserves.”
“On behalf of the Sinn Féin, I welcome back our comrade Senator Andrews and say how proud of him we all are. It is really important that we keep the focus on Gaza and the peace deal that it is hoped will happen. We remember the ongoing mission and the five other Irish citizens who are in an Israeli prison. I will address endometriosis today. Over the past few months, there has been an unbelievable turnout at public meetings on endometriosis we held across the country. Women have been coming out in their hundreds to share their stories, pain and determination to be heard. This campaign has shown the real strength and courage of women who have been ignored for far too long.”
“Sadly, I do not think that any young person planning to leave Ireland and work or live abroad will feel that anything has changed after today's budget. I do not think the Government has done anything to convince those people to stay. We will continue to lose this generation of young workers to the likes of Sydney and Toronto.”
“That there was no mention of homelessness today is shameful. That can only be fixed if the Government changes its mindset and prioritises ordinary workers over landlords and investors. Young people will not be happy with today's budget. Most young people cannot even afford to rent a property. They now rely heavily on the room-to-rent scheme. I am talking not just of students but also young workers who are now in room-to-rent situations. The constant rise in prices is pushing up the rent, too. However, they do not qualify for the renter's tax credit and have little to no protections. A €500 reduction in student fees will not feel like a reduction because fees are €500 higher than they were last year. What do the young people of today have to do to get this Government to listen to them?”
“There are currently 16,353 people in homelessness, including 5,145 children. Another record high was set last month. It is desperately sad that the Government's budget speeches in the Dáil made no mention of those individuals or their families who are living in homeless accommodation today. In County Laois, our biggest problem is affordable housing. I do not necessarily mean the Government's version of so-called affordable housing because a lot of those units, what few have been built in Laois, are still not affordable for many ordinary workers, and especially for younger people and families. Laois is not getting any investment in affordable housing from the LDA. An increase in affordable housing units is desperately needed. Housing is the single biggest issue for the Irish public. It can and must be fixed.”
“However, by the end of the week, or even by the end of the day, most people will realise that this budget has done little to nothing to help them to afford their bills, shopping and day-to-day expenses. This is where the real failure is. I will focus on housing first. Under successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Governments, housing targets have been set too low and most targets, low as they were, have not been met. The Government's failure to adopt key recommendations of the Housing Commission report, or indeed recommendations from my own party, means that the Government will not meet its own targets for public or private housing next year. The tax measures announced for housing, as we have seen from previous budgets, do not necessarily translate into providing additional housing.”
“I welcome the Aire Stáit. We are hearing more and more people every day talk about the cost of living. Someone said to me recently that it should be called the cost-of-everything crisis because the price of everything is going up. Workers and families who find themselves constantly struggling from week to week needed to hear that this budget would make things more affordable. They needed to hear that rent and groceries would be made more affordable. They needed to hear that electricity and gas bills, childcare, car insurance and education would be made more affordable. Today they will hear some positive messages, such as the increases to the minimum wage and social welfare payments, which are welcome.”
“There is a more important issue, however. It is a very sad day. I am gutted that the hopes of the people of Gaza, who are waiting desperately for this aid to arrive, have once again been crushed as the world looks on. I am frightened for my colleague and our citizens. I despair for the people of Gaza. I will not be silent while they continue to be in danger. Saoirse don Phalaistín.”
“It was said in this Chamber last week when Senator Andrews' statement was read into the record that somehow this was about playing politics. I hope the whole House hears this clearly: this goes much deeper than politics. This is about humanity, international law, protecting Irish citizens and standing with people facing starvation, genocide and destruction. This is a serious breach of international law. The people taken last night are not combatants; they are parliamentarians, aid workers and human rights activists. They must be released. Senator Ruane will be tabling an amendment to the Order of Business and Sinn Féin will support it. I welcome the statement from the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. We need to secure the safe release of Senator Andrews, all our citizens, all who were detained and all flotilla passengers.”
“As mentioned last night, our colleague and friend Senator Chris Andrews, along with a number of other Irish citizens, was detained in international waters by heavily armed Israeli forces while on a peaceful humanitarian mission to Gaza. The mission was, as Senator Rabbitte clearly pointed out, about nothing more than bringing food and medicine to starving families. It was humanitarian, it was peaceful and it was non-violent, yet boats were seized and people were taken while the world watched. I want to acknowledge today the bravery and genuine determination of Senator Andrews, and of every Irish citizen who took part in the flotilla. Their courage is real. Their actions were rooted in compassion and solidarity, not politics.”
“I welcome the willingness to work together as we continue to support family farmers, demand fairness and ensure that Irish agriculture has the support it needs thrive.”
“They strengthen and improve it and send a clear message that this House is standing up family farmers. I know my colleague will speak further about the Mercosur deal but just let me say that I feel it is not a good deal for Irish farmers. It would force our farmers to compete on an uneven playing field. Irish farmers must meet the highest standards of animal welfare, traceability and environmental protection while other farmers do not. That is deeply unfair and must be opposed. I welcome the comments from the other Senators that if it were a fair playing field and everyone had to apply the same standards, things may be different for us. We must stand up for the Irish farmers. I appreciate the work done by the Fine Gael Senators who tabled this motion.”
“I spoke recently to a farmer in Laois who told me he had been losing bloodlines that had been on the family farm for generations. That is hard enough, but to top it off he was left with valuations that fell far short of the true value of his animals, sometimes losing €1,000 or more on a single animal. Farmers are committed to eradicating TB. They want to work with the action plan but cannot accept footing the bill themselves or being left out of pocket for losses that are not of their making. Fairness, proper compensation and respect are the least they deserve. Farmers are being short-changed and driven into debt, which is having a detrimental effect on their mental health. It is so important we talk about that issue. That is why I am glad that our amendments will be a part of this motion.”
“The first is to note that the incidents of bovine TB are at record levels and to ensure the bovine TB action plan is implemented in a way that takes farmers' concerns seriously, that it is a fully funded plan to provide proper funding so that valuations to reactor cattle reflect true market value. The second is to put on record opposition to the Mercosur trade deal which threatens Irish family farms. Right now the TB situation is worsening. The reality on the ground for family farms is stark. Bovine TB is spiralling out of control. Last year, over 41,000 cattle were lost. Already this year, we have seen more than 43,000 reactors. For many families, that means years of careful breeding wiped out in a matter of weeks.”
“I move amendment No. 1: After the word “notes:” to insert the following paragraph: “- the increase of incidents of Bovine TB which are at record levels;” I thank the Fine Gael Senators for bringing forward this motion on agriculture. I am a farmer's daughter so I am delighted to have a chance to speak on this debate on agriculture. As the Minister correctly said, it affects everyone in the country, not just the rural community. We all depend on farmers. I also acknowledge that the amendments tabled by Sinn Féin have been accepted, which is a positive outcome. I am happy that we can work together in the interests of farmers in rural communities. Our two amendments are clear.”
“It would have been a chance to invest in social and affordable housing and would have made a real difference to people who are paying some of the highest rents in Europe. It would also have ensured that workers would not have to now pay into a fund that they know will be a €1 billion-plus bonanza for the private sector. Instead, auto-enrolment as this Government will implement it is a gift to the private pension industry.”
“Next week, the Government will announce its budget and it has been made clear that there will be a rolling back on cost-of-living supports, which will also make the winter bills much harder for people to pay this year. Third, and very importantly, we have serious concerns about who is responsible for the fund. In our submission back in 2018, we proposed that the State should play a lead role at the heart of the auto-enrolment scheme and that the NTMA would be central to this in managing these funds and investing them for the benefit of the citizens. Managing the funds under the NTMA would have been a chance to put in place secure, renewable infrastructure that would make a real, meaningful difference to the people who are paying some of the highest electricity bills in Europe.”
“I know from talking to constituents in Laois, where there are significant wage disparities compared to many other counties, that this will have a serious impact on many people's ability to pay their bills. We all know the cost of everything is going up and up. This will be a dent in their take-home pay and they just cannot afford it right now. It is fair to say that mandatory engagement with the scheme for a full six months is an overly paternalistic approach, particularly for low-paid workers who are barely scraping by. It is just another example of how out of touch this Government is with the daily struggles of ordinary workers and families. We know that after housing costs are factored in, one third of households cannot afford to pay their electricity bills and one in five children in this country are growing up in poverty.”
“Sinn Féin supports auto-enrolment in principle and has been consistent in advocating for the right auto-enrolment system at the right time. It is important that the scheme is done right and that is why we do not support this Government's version of auto-enrolment and did not support the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill in 2024. There are three main issues with the Act. The first is that low-paid workers will not be allowed to opt out and claim back their money until after a six-month mandatory waiting period. Second, now is just not the right time. A worker earning €20,000 per year, for example, would be down by roughly €5.76 per week. That is an extra €20 to €30 per month and for a lot of people, that is more than they can afford right now. The cost-of-living crisis is already crippling people across the country.”
“That was seven years ago and it has still not been passed and the Government is still trying to water it down. I am glad to see this motion debated in the Seanad but the motion is not strong enough. I hope the Government parties will support the amendments.”
“If Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael were serious about their support for Palestine, they would be doing everything they could to support the opening up of a humanitarian corridor to Gaza to end the starvation and the slaughter. The global summit flotilla is doing what the Irish Government and other governments should be doing: directly sending humanitarian aid to Gaza and confronting the Israeli regime. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael should be more concerned with ensuring that this flotilla and its aid reaches Gaza and that its participants return safely home rather than engaging in shallow self-praise. We acknowledge that the Government has finally hardened its stance on Israel's genocide to some extent but it did take a while. We must remember that Senator Frances Black's occupied territories Bill was first tabled in this House in 2018.”
“He said: The Government should follow the example set by the global summit flotilla by taking meaningful action in solidarity with the Palestinian people. After shamefully refusing to pass the occupied territories Bill or ban the sale of Israeli war bonds, it is pure hypocrisy for this Government or its Senators to claim to have stood up for the human rights of the Palestinian people. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are acting as if they are powerless spectators to this genocide rather than a sovereign government with real options to hold Israel to account. The reality is that Ireland has done absolutely nothing to alleviate the man-made famine imposed upon Gaza and has completely failed to sanction Israel for its crimes.”
“The flotilla was attacked by drones the other night. Yesterday we woke up to the news that the humanitarian fleet of over 500 civilian volunteers was subjected to co-ordinated attacks in European waters off Crete. Drones, explosives and chemical dispersals targeted unarmed vessels, damaging ships and endangering lives. There are over 20 Irish civilians on board the boats in that flotilla including our very own colleague Senator Chris Andrews. Thankfully we have been able to keep up communication with him and I spoke to him last night. The reports are that the volunteers on the boats are safe for now. Senator Andrews sent me a statement to read on his behalf because he could not be here for this debate.”
“Our spokesperson for foreign affairs is not here today. We have his empty chair here. I feel quite a weight here and genuine fear for his safety. The Sinn Féin group have put their names to the amended motion as we do not feel that the Fianna Fáil motion goes far enough on a few points. In particular, I want to mention the final amendment calling for a halting of transportation through Ireland and through Irish airspace of all weapons and dual-use items travelling to Israel for use by the military in Gaza and the West Bank. We cannot allow a situation to continue that threatens our neutrality. Concerns have consistently been raised about the use of Shannon Airport and the Government continues to ignore these concerns. Members will know there is an aid flotilla trying desperately to make its way to Gaza.”
“It is only a matter of time before he is in crisis again. Despite growing consensus among clinicians, service users and advocacy groups on the urgent need for integrated services, the Government voted against Sinn Féin's proposals to strengthen the Bill regarding obligations for care for people with dual diagnosis. There are not enough beds and community services to help people in crisis and waiting lists across the board continued to spiral upwards. Sadly, this Bill is unlikely to improve services for mental health or people in crisis when they need them. I hope the Minister of State will reconsider our amendments on Committee Stage.”
“If her mam had not hung on and fought for her to stay, she would have been sent out. This young woman's experience is not uncommon. I hear many stories of people in crisis who are sent home from hospitals without proper care. Unfortunately, I do not feel confident that this Bill will prevent these types of situations from continuing. Another man told me of how he was found by his sister ready to take his own life. He spent a few days on a ward. He begged the hospital to help him get into rehab for his alcohol and drug addictions before he was sent home. Of course, he got no such help. He was sent home. His sister contacted a number of residential rehab services to try to get him a place but the waiting lists were six to nine months long. This was no good. He needed help there and then but he did not get it.”
“She was assessed and turned away having been told that if she got an assessment for autism, she would be fine. The same thing happened a further three times, the most notable being the most recent instance. Before she was seen, she was left waiting six hours. The receptionist admitted the doctor was about to leave and had forgotten about her. Once she was in a room with a doctor and told him in detail her plan to end her life, he simply told her mam to keep an eye on her and give her a Xanax. Despite her mam and her clearly expressing concern for her personal safety, he sent her home. On her second admission, she told staff she had an active plan to kill herself; she could not do it any more. She was told they would keep an eye on her for the weekend and the next day they tried to discharge her, even though she said she was at risk.”
“It is essential that we replace the child and adolescent mental health services with a new child and youth mental health service, extending care up to age 25. This would address the current cliff edge at the age of 18, ensuring continuity of care during a critical development period. On Committee and Report Stages in the Dáil, the Government rejected Sinn Féin’s attempts to amend the Bill to ensure vulnerable people would not continue to fall through the cracks. It is utterly disheartening to speak on this Bill knowing it will not do much for those who are really suffering. Let me refer to just a few lines of a message I received in recent days from a constituent in Laois about how people feel they are treated. I will keep her name anonymous. She states she first went to Portlaoise mental health unit last June when she was in crisis.”
“I am really glad to speak on this Bill. I commend the Minister of State on introducing a Bill on mental health. Her passion for mental health reform is really noted. My colleague Senator Nicole Ryan has already laid out why Sinn Féin has some issues with this Bill. I acknowledge the visitors in the Gallery, including my own mammy. I offer my deepest sympathy to the mammy in the Gallery who is carrying a grief that no mammy should have to carry due to a failed system. This Bill approaches mental health issues too narrowly. Also, it does not go far enough to promote preventative care and early intervention. There is limited support for families and carers addressed in the Bill. Families and carers need to be included in care planning and to have access to supports themselves.”
“The second item I want to raise is to call for a debate in this House on the cost of living and energy prices in particular. As families are struggling having just got kids back to school and the costs that go with that, they are now facing a winter of even higher energy bills. I hear from people in my area in Laois how they are really struggling. It is not just families but also single-income households that are struggling to pay bills and missing out on meals because they run out of money halfway through the week. We heard that four separate energy companies are raising their prices despite the fact that Ireland already has the highest electricity prices in Europe. This Government needs to start holding these companies to account. I would like a debate in this House not just on energy prices but also on the general cost of living.”
“First, I would like to mention the shocking attacks on the aid flotilla to Gaza today, which is yet another disgraceful breach of international law. This is a humanitarian fleet of over 500 civilian volunteers and it was subjected to co-ordinated attacks in European waters off Crete. Aid is so desperately needed for the starving people in Gaza and everything that can be done must be done to ensure the aid safely reaches its destination. Drones, explosives and chemical dispersals targeted unarmed vessels, damaging the ships and endangering lives. The crew on board The Spectre , including our colleague, Senator Andrews, said they believe they were struck four times by drones. I hope all personnel on board are safe, but the world is watching now. We must not turn a blind eye to the illegal attacks on these flotillas.”
“All of the amendments we would have liked to bring forward were ruled out of order in the Dáil, so we have focused our attention on this one, which I hope the Minister will consider. It is baffling why, on the one hand, the Minister would extend rights to one cohort of families and children and, on the other hand, take it away from another group. We know there are only approximately 100 new divorced claimants for this pension each year. The amendment is fairly self-explanatory. It seeks an assessment of the extent to which the Bill will incur hardship on separated and divorced survivors and their children. It will also assess the extent to which the Bill goes against the original judgment and leaves the door open to families who will inevitably challenge the unconstitutionality of the Bill.”
“I move amendment No. 1: In page 5, between lines 17 and 18, to insert the following: “(3) Before the coming into operation of this Act, the Minister shall publish a report which outlines the following: (a) the degree of financial dependence that families with divorced or separated parents have on those parents; (b) an overview of the legal issues with not providing the same level of access to social protection payments for some children’s families based on the marital status of their separated or divorced parents.”. I acknowledge that Deputy Coppinger tabled this amendment in the Dáil. It was a personal thing for her so I am glad to be able to bring this amendment to the Seanad.”
“The garda asked if they could call within 45 minutes and they said, "No." It is really farcical. We are expecting gardaí to be responsible for queries in a Passport Office when these are our front-line workers. There has to be a way to have a better process. This woman will end up losing out on her holiday and lots of money because a contact could not be made in a Garda station. It is just unacceptable.”
“However, the passport was rejected because the Passport Office was not able to get in contact with the Garda station. She then moved it to the Garda station in Portlaoise and applied again. Last week, she was going to get the passport cancelled again because the Passport Office could not get in contact with the Garda station. Portlaoise Garda station is working to the best of its ability. They are in a temporary station while their station gets done up. Obviously, safety comes first. We do not expect them to sit and man the phones all day. This mam went into the station and asked the garda to call the Passport Office, which they did. The Passport Office said it could not accept a call from the garda calling them. They needed to ring the Garda station.”
“We have to stop leaving these women suffer in silence. It is taking an average of nine years for these women to get a diagnosis and it is not acceptable any more. These women have to leave the country on a daily basis to get the care they should be able to get in Ireland. Their stories are just harrowing. The motion was built on the lived experiences of these women. No one can debate those lived experiences. I really look forward to having a debate, hopefully, in the Seanad on the care of endometriosis patients in Ireland. The second issue I will raise is the passport application process. It is very specific to a query I had in my constituency of Laois, where a mam reached out to me a number of weeks ago. She had applied for a passport for her baby.”
“Today, the Sinn Féin team will bring the first ever motion on endometriosis care to Dáil Éireann. I am so proud of this motion. Since I first rose to speak about endometriosis and Women's Health Week on 5 March, so many women have reached out to me. We have held nine public meetings and engaged with thousands of women. We heard harrowing stories of the failures they experienced from women and girls, some nine or 14 years old, including women missing parts of their vital organs because we do not have the care in Ireland. I look forward to the debate this evening. I really hope that the Government will support the motion and will support these women. Endometriosis affects one in ten women in Ireland, so this is not just a small number of women. They are our mothers, sisters and daughters. We all know ten women.”
“This extended financial support to one group but, in doing so, it removed it from another. It seems bizarre. I would not be surprised if this will lead yet another family to take a constitutional challenge, as John O'Meara did. We should not be legislating for inequality. We should be learning from the O'Meara case, not trying to lay groundwork for the next one. Finally, I commend John O'Meara and his family for their bravery and resilience and also FLAC, Treoir and the One Family for their tireless advocacy. We in Sinn Féin will continue to stand with them and with all the families to ensure that no child is left behind based on the marital status of their parents.”
“It is very disappointing that most of Sinn Féin's amendments were ruled out of order in the Dáil because this legislation deserved a more thorough and compassionate approach. When we have a chance to legislate, we should always aim to do the decent thing to make the law better, fairer and more reflective of real life and the diversity of families today. The Chief Justice, in the O'Meara judgment, emphasised the rights of children and the obligations of their parents are not contingent on the legal status of the relationship and yet this Bill now draws a new dividing line, one that says some children, because their parents are divorced or separated, are less deserving. That is policy made without regard for the realities faced by many grieving families.”
“My Sinn Féin colleague in the Dáil Louise O'Reilly tabled amendments to try to address this very point and to continue recognising the hardship experienced by divorced or separated partners who, even after separation, often carry the emotional and financial responsibilities of coparenting. These are not abstract circumstances. Those involved are just grieving ex-partners who end up paying for the funeral costs and trying to shield their children from trauma, all without the support they were once entitled to. We know, and the Free Legal Advice Centre, FLAC, has also rightly pointed this out, this is not a case of opening floodgates for a huge amount of people at a huge cost. The numbers are very small but the impact is enormous.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill on behalf of the Sinn Féin team. This legislation started from a really good place, namely, the intention to address the historic injustice whereby children of cohabiting parents were treated less favourably than those of married parents, a provision found to be unconstitutional in the O'Meara case, as we all know. While this is welcome and we support the associated part of the Bill, it is not so welcome – frankly, it is shameful – that, in fixing one wrong, the Government has created another. This is because the Bill now excludes divorced and separated partners and, more importantly, excludes their children from support through the bereaved partner's pension. It creates a new category of children and families who will now be treated as less deserving.”
“The provision of paid leave for women who experience pregnancy loss, including pregnancies under 24 weeks, is also something already established in other countries. With this Bill, we would be bringing Ireland into line with progressive international practices. Losing a baby during any stage of pregnancy is heartbreaking. Acknowledging this can be greatly important for families and sends a clear message to parents that their love and grief is real and that they are not alone. I hope that the Minister will support the passage of the Bill through the Seanad and that we get cross-party support, so families who go through pregnancy loss can get the supports and acknowledgement they need.”
“Another key measure in the Bill is the symbolic recognition that would be provided by a voluntary pregnancy loss register. Initiatives similar to a voluntary pregnancy loss register have been introduced in many places, as Senator Ryan has outlined. England launched a baby loss certificate scheme in 2024. Scotland introduced a memorial book and certificate in 2023 for losses before 24 weeks. Wales is also looking into the scheme. Other jurisdictions, such as Germany and Australia, provide early pregnancy loss certificates. In the North, my Sinn Féin colleagues have brought forward the Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill, which is progressing in the Assembly. There is plenty of precedent and no reason we should not have the register here.”
“We must never undermine the traumatic experience of a miscarriage and how difficult it can be to talk about it to others. There is the pressure of having to behave normally and to go back to work as if nothing happened. It is very sad that we do not already have statutory workplace supports in place for this. It feels like yet another example of women's health issues being ignored for too long, and another thing women just have to put up with. This cannot continue. As Senator Ryan has outlined, the Bill before us aims to provide statutory paid leave for individuals suffering pregnancy loss. It also provides for statutory paid leave for partners, which is very important. The Bill ensures dignity, privacy and empathy in the workplace, with confidential notification procedures and protection from employment discrimination.”
“I welcome the work that Senator Ryan and my party, Sinn Féin, have done on this issue. I thank Nicole for sharing her personal and powerful story. It is a story to which, sadly, the one in four women who experience a miscarriage can relate very well. There are approximately 15,000 miscarriages a year in Ireland. We know this loss can have a profound emotional impact not only on the woman but also on her partner, friends and family, yet there is little recognition of the grief and pain suffered. We know there are many physical symptoms of grief, such as fatigue, tiredness, loss of appetite, difficulties concentrating and sleeping problems. Then there are the emotional symptoms, including feelings of loneliness, guilt, shock and numbness, anger, an overwhelming sense of sadness and, sometimes, depression.”