Women who have an abortion could become entitled to five days’ paid leave under proposals now being examined by the Government.

 

The proposed changes would create a new paid leave entitlement for women following a miscarriage. Weekend media reports suggest ministers also intend to extend the same benefit to women who have an abortion.

 

The Daily Mail, among others, covered the Pro Life Campaign’s reaction, quoting Eilís Mulroy saying: “So first they voted to abolish the three-day reflection period prior to an abortion and now senior members of government like Micheál Martin and Simon Harris are, in effect, saying to women: ‘We recognise the grief and trauma you might experience after an abortion, so we believe you’re entitled to five days’ leave. However, we voted to abolish the three-day reflection period before an abortion despite the fact that it could potentially safeguard you from finding yourself in that awful situation in the first place. The position these politicians are adopting makes absolutely no sense.”

 

She continued: “What the Government should be doing is looking for ways to promote alternatives for women in unplanned pregnancy rather than putting all of their focus on abortion as a response to it. Until they start doing that, the Government is effectively saying to women that abortion is the way to deal with the situation. This is totally unacceptable.”