The Government's proposal to extend paid leave for parents of babies born during the pandemic has been criticized as "utterly bizarre" and "cynical" by the opposition.
Yesterday, the Cabinet approved a proposal to increase parents' leave by three weeks, which will be considered as part of Budget 2021 and implemented sometime thereafter.
It follows a campaign backed by a number of political parties and the National Women's Council of Ireland (NWCI) to increase maternity leave by three months for mothers who had a child during the lockdown.
Social Democrat TD, Jennifer Whitmore, said yesterday's announcement was "a really cynical attempt" to "take the steam out of the maternity campaign".