Sherlock calls government “disgraceful” for halting miscarriage legislation

Labour TD Marie Sherlock has dubbed the government parties “shameful” for blocking legislation to support women after miscarriage or for any worker undergoing fertility treatments. 

The bill, first drafted by Labour in March 2021, would provide women with up to 20 days paid time off to recover from the loss of an early pregnancy, as well as up to 10 days paid leave for all employees accessing fertility treatments like IVF.

The party raised the issue in the Seanad in November 2023 and in the Dáil in January 2024, but since then, the bill has been left to gather proverbial dust, to the frustration of Sherlock.

“Half a decade is a long time for Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to spend deliberating on whether or not women should have access to miscarriage leave,” the Dublin Central TD said.

“The failure of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to progress legislation to provide for leave for women during a time of great loss is a stark reminder of the uphill battle women face in advocating for compassionate workplace policies,” and further accused the government parties of “kicking the can” on the legislation.

“For too long, we’ve kept conversations around reproductive 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 is needed would represent a step in the right direction in terms of equality in the workplace.”

The Labour health spokesperson noted that the previous Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil coalition government commissioned a report about how to support women after a miscarriage; the January 2024 report recommended the introduction of policies to provide time off work following pregnancy loss before 24 weeks, among other measures.

“The calls of this expert report are in line with the aim of Labour’s legislation; so why the delay?” Sherlock asked.

“Pregnancy loss and miscarriage are utterly devastating experiences, and women need time to recover from this tragic loss. The Miscarriage Association of Ireland estimates that one in five pregnancies in Ireland end in miscarriage, and it is unacceptable that so many women could be left behind by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil in this way. Over 3,500 people have signed a Labour Party petition in support of this campaign, so why the delay?

She noted that New Zealand introduced miscarriage leave in 2021, and in June 2024, the British government introduced legislation which granted two weeks of bereavement leave in the event of miscarriage or stillbirth before 24 weeks’ gestation. 

“It’s beyond time that we introduce the same here,” she said.

“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. We need to provide leave when it matters most.”