Louth senator welcomes Oireachtas passing new right to postpone maternity leave
The maternity leave can be postponed for between five and 52 weeks
Louth senator John McGahon has welcomed the Maternity Protection Employment Equality and Preservation of Certain Records Bill 2024 passing all stages in the Oireachtas.
The legislation will allow an employee who receives a diagnosis of a serious illness to postpone maternity leave until treatment is concluded, and follows the ‘Leave Our Leave’ campaign by the Irish Cancer Society.
The maternity leave can be postponed for between five and 52 weeks, on certification from their doctor. Postponing maternity leave will not sacrifice other forms of leave, such as unpaid maternity leave and Parents Leave.
Senator McGahon said: “This is something that was brought to my attention earlier on in the year. I was amazed to even realise that such an anomaly existed.”
“It’s something I went directly to Taoiseach Simon Harris about and he was keen to have the issue resolved.
“This is a really important win for women who have shared their stories publicly about the trauma of having to use up maternity leave to undergo life-saving treatment.
“I was really pleased to work alongside the Irish Cancer Society and their #LeaveOurLeave campaign and to convince the Government that this was the right thing to do, but more importantly, to get it approved and resolved in legislation before the General Election takes place by the end of this year.
“The Bill will allow women who suffer a serious illness during their maternity leave to postpone that leave. This is a small, simple change that will have a big impact for so many women at a very challenging time in their lives.”
The Bill will now go to the President to be signed into law.