'Progress' - Cabinet approves heads of Bill granting maternity leave to councillors

The general scheme of a Bill to grant maternity leave to councillors has been approved by Cabinet. 

The Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government and Planning at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Peter Burke, welcomed the news today (Wednesday July 27) and called it "very welcome progress". 

The new legislation will also offer the choice to appoint an individual as a temporary substitute in the place of a councillor who takes a period of maternity-related absence or is absent due to illness.

According to Minister Burke, it will help to remove barriers to participation of more women in local government. 

He said, "The enactment of this legislation will mean that councillors, who as office holders have up to now never been able to take maternity leave, will be able to avail of the same maternity protections as employees. 

"Councillors should also no longer feel pressure to continue in their representative role or attend Council meetings for votes or debates if they are on maternity leave or are absent due to illness or in good faith for another reason. 

"Under this legislation, they will have flexibility, if they so wish, to have an individual fill in for them on a temporary basis for the period of their absence.” 

Following the Government’s decision, the general scheme will now proceed for priority drafting of a Bill. 

The general scheme will shortly be published and forwarded to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage for pre-legislative scrutiny. 

The Minister added: "I would like to thank the members of Government for their continued support in making the role of councillor more accessible, manageable and equitable for all. I look forward to working with them and with members of both Houses of the Oireachtas as this legislation progresses in the coming months.”