Irish Govt backs post-abortion paid leave

Plans to introduce statutory paid bereavement leave following an abortion have been backed by Government Ministers.

Under Peter Burke TD’s Pregnancy Loss Leave Bill, a woman who chooses to have an abortion would be entitled to the same benefits as one who suffers a miscarriage.

Life Institute’s Megan Scallan welcomed the provisions in the Bill granting miscarriage bereavement leave, but protested against those measures which equated loss through miscarriage to the killing of an unborn child by abortion.

Baby loss

The Employment Minister’s proposals state that pregnancy loss “shall be deemed to have occurred” where the pregnancy “does not result in a live birth before the completion of 23 weeks of gestation” or has been ended by an abortion.

Upon certification by a medical practitioner, women experiencing pregnancy loss will be entitled to five days paid leave at 70 per cent of their gross normal earnings, capped at €110 per day.

The Bill specifies that an employee may take the leave up to 56 weeks after their loss to allow them “to take the leave when it is needed i.e. around the anniversary of a loss”. The total annual cost to employers is estimated to be around €10 million.

‘Inherent value’

Scallan commented: “We’re now being told by the Irish Government that abortion is upsetting — so upsetting, in fact, that you are entitled to five days paid leave from work to recover.

“But the same people are telling us they want to scrap the waiting period of three days to consider and reflect before making the decision. That makes no sense.”

She added: “There is no difference in inherent value between the child aborted and the child miscarried. Both are innocent human beings who deserved unconditional love. There is, however, a stark contrast between the mother who miscarried and a mother who chose to end the life of her own child.”

“Women who have miscarried should absolutely be entitled to leave from work and time to grieve the loss of their precious baby. Women who have aborted their child, however, need a completely different type of sensitivity and attention.”