Drogheda based Sinn Féin Councillor Joanna Byrne is one of six women councillors nationwide to be members of a cross-party working group to examine proposals to give County and City Councillors maternity leave.
The group is scheduled to hold its inaugural meeting on Monday 29th March meet with Minister of State for Local Government and Planning Peter Burke and Sinn Féin have nominated Louth Councillor Joanna Byrne to represent the Party.
There are no currently no provisions in law for Ministers, TD’s, Senators or Councillors to take leave if they become pregnant.
Speaking on her appointment to the committee Cllr Byrne said “female elected representatives be they TDs, Senators or Councillors should be entitled to paid maternity leave and the Oireachtas and Local Authorities must ensure the necessary workplace supports are in place to make this entitlement meaningful.
“Elected representatives should also be afforded the same paternity, parental and adoption leave entitlements as other workers. As the Ard Runaí of Sinn Féin’s National Councillors Forum I engage extensively with Cllrs on a regular basis and have a direct link to our Oireachtas team also so I’m well placed to carry the views of our elected reps onto this committee.”
Councillor Byrne has been a great advocate of Women’s rights in her career to date playing an active role in the Repeal campaign, introducing Period Poverty supports in County Louth and more recently calling for legislative supports for survivors of the Mother & Baby Homes and she is now keen to start working on this too.
“I’m looking forward to working with the Minister, the other Parties and all relevant agencies to achieve the supports women in these roles should be entitled to. The absence of this type of support is one of the deterrents for women getting involved with public life. If we as a nation are serious about gender equality in national and local government structures workable proposals on maternity and paternity leave need to established as a priority.”
The six councillors appointed to this Committee are Sinn Féin’s Joanna Byrne (Louth), Labour’s Elena Secas (Limerick), Fianna Fáil’s Norma Moriarty (Kerry), Fine Gael’s Lorraine Hall (Dun Laoghaire), The Green’s Darcy Lonergan (Dublin) and Independent Karey McHugh Farga (Galway).
