Miscarriage and fertility leave must be enacted without further delay

• Labour’s Bill would provide 20 days leave for early pregnancy loss and 10 days to attend fertility treatments
• Labour to host rally for women’s healthcare this Sunday March 8th at 12 noon at the Garden of Remembrance

Speaking in the Dáil today, Labour’s health spokesperson Marie Sherlock TD has urged Government to end the foot dragging when it comes to actualising women’s right to miscarriage and fertility leave.

Deputy Sherlock said there will be plenty of platitudes over the coming days in the run up to International Women’s Day, and called for an end to the five year long delays on miscarriage and fertility leave.

Deputy Sherlock said:

“Half a decade ago on International Women’s Day the Labour Party introduced a Bill to provide vital leave to women when it matters most. Our Reproductive Health Leave Bill would ensure women who experience the tragic loss of an early pregnancy would be entitled to 20 days off work, and anyone seeking fertility treatments would be entitled to up to 10 days leave to attend appointments.

“Yet here we are five years on and there has been no action.

“We progressed the Bill in the Seanad in January 2022 and it was unopposed by Government. In November 2022, Labour attempted to introduce the policy by amending Government’s Work Life Balance and Misconduct Provisions Bill 2022, but our amendment was ruled out of order.

“In January 2024, PLACES, the UCC research group instructed by Government to carry out a report into pregnancy loss, submitted its report to the Department of Children. Yet again, no action was taken.

“Earlier this year, the Labour Party wrote to the Oireachtas Business Committee pleading it to consider and progress this vital piece of legislation for women and workers. All that’s missing is Government action.

“It was positive to hear the Tánaiste in the Dáil today express support for miscarriage and fertility leave. But women have heard supportive words from Government before. Warm words alone mean nothing. After five years of delay, what we need now is action.

“In all of this, there is a clear pattern and message to women that their issues are treated as less than others. Just this week, we saw the brinkmanship that evolved over the future of the Rotunda Maternity Hospital. At the very last moment, Government updated its policy position and An Coimisiún Pleanála will now reopen the process. It shouldn’t be like this.

“Women are sick to the teeth of fighting but once again we are forced to do so. The Miscarriage Association of Ireland estimates that one in five pregnancies in Ireland end in miscarriage. This is an issue impacting thousands of women every year in Ireland and there is little to no support available to them.

“For too long, we’ve kept conversations around women’s healthcare too private. As more and more women and couples come forward with their experience of struggling to conceive, introducing workplace protections for people seeking fertility treatment would represent a step in the right direction in terms of equality in the workplace. Labour’s Bill provides for access to 10 days leave for treatments like IVF to make sure that workers no longer have to use annual leave for treatment.”