'It is bizarre in the extreme'

Expectant mum and Fianna Fáil TD Niamh Smyth has spoken of her absolute amazement at being requested to “provide a sick cert” after the birth of her child to cover her absence from from the Dáil.

Remarkably, the Cavan-Monaghan representative will continue to be paid her full salary but there is no legal right for her to take paid maternity leave as she is classed as an 'office holder’ rather than public sector employee.
Under the current system, TDs who give birth are given permission to miss Dáil votes by their party chief whips. This is done by pairing them with TD’s from opposing parties who agree not to vote in their absence.
“It is bizarre in the extreme,” Deputy Smyth told The Anglo-Celt, saying that, even before the issue of gender quotas is raised again, necessary legislation needs to be put in place to ensure that the rights of all members are enshrined properly.
“Before I became a TD, I wouldn’t have been aware of it. It was when I was at Cavan General, I rang Human Resources in the Dáil and asked what the situation was, and how do I deal with this when junior arrives. They said to me 'I’m sorry we don’t have provision for that, you’ll have to provide a sick note’. But I said 'I’m not sick’.”
While her and husband James Conaty are “over the moon” about the arrival of their first child later this month, the Fianna Fáil spokesperson for Arts admits it is difficult for some women to remain involved in politics given all the demands.
There have only been a handful of women in the Dáil who have had children while in office, while former Fine Gael TD Olwyn Enright, former Independent TD Mildred Fox faced challenges balancing the work-life balance.
Legislation aimed at changing the situation in 2013, meanwhile, was defeated was defeated by the then Government parties at the time.
That Fianna Fáil bill had sought to extend maternity cover to female members of the House and Seanad, but some elected members stated the legislation was not a priority as it affected only a small cohort of society.
Deputy Smyth has now informed the Celt of her intention to raise the matter once again in the New Year.
“I don’t think there should be a question of sacrifice. Why can’t women do both? There are so few women over the past decade that I suppose it hasn’t been an issue.
“But as it stands it is totally at odds with what we as TDs do there, which is seek to provide freedoms to people and legislate for a person’s rights. I feel maybe I’ve enough on hand at the present time. But for any women thinking of going as an elected member, I just think it bizarre in a place where we legislate for every other profession in the country, that we allow ourselves slip up on this,” she said.