AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Files - Articles - 2004 Newspapers

Ireland's mothers get paid time off for breastfeeding at work

Agence France Presse English;
22 October 2004

 


Lucy Lawless breastfeeding her son

This handout released 01 August 2002 shows New Zealand actress Lucy Lawless breastfeeding her three-month-old son, Judah. Ireland's mothers are entitled to paid time off to breastfeed their babies at work from this week, Health Promotion Minister Sean Power said.

Ireland's mothers are entitled to paid time off to breastfeed their babies at work from this week, Health Promotion Minister Sean Power said.

New maternity protection laws that have just come into effect introduce such breaks for mothers returning to work after maternity leave.

"Breastfeeding mothers will be entitled, under the legislation, to paid time off for the purposes of breastfeeding or expressing breast milk in the workplace, where facilities are provided by the employer, or a reduction in working hours on full pay to facilitate breastfeeding where facilities are not provided," Power said.

"The employer will be required to provide facilities where this does not give rise to more than a nominal cost."

The health benefits of breastfeeding made it "important" that mothers were assisted, he said.

Power added the new measure would also benefit employers as research showed that women who continue to breastfeed after returning to work are three times less likely to be absent from work in order to care for their sick child, as breastfed children are healthier.

A survey for the ministry found 48 percent of men and 74 percent of women in the workforce agreed that women should be encouraged to breastfeed their babies for as long as possible.

 


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