I know I do not need to convince the Taoiseach of the gender balance problem in Irish politics. Of the 18 Deputies representing our home county of Cork, I am the only woman and my colleague, Councillor Clare Claffey, is the only female councillor on Offaly County Council. If we are serious about increasing the number of women in Irish politics, we need to identify the barriers and remove them. The lack of any maternity or adoptive provisions is a glaringly obvious barrier. I first raised this with the Taoiseach in July of last year. In his response, he completely agreed with me and committed to finding a way for public representatives to take maternity and parental leave. Fifteen months later I stand before him again, but this time with a Bill in my hand which would extend maternity, parental and adoptive leave to local authority members throughout the country. Will the Taoiseach please tell me that I can count on him and his Government to support the Bill?

I see the need for the greater availability of maternity leave and paternity leave for public representatives more generally. In fairness, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, adopted a pioneering approach to that and the Government managed to facilitate it. Recently the Minister, Deputy Harris, took paternity leave, which is the correct and proper thing to do. I have not yet seen the Deputy's Bill.

I will leave it with the Taoiseach.

We will give the Bill due consideration and will look at it in a constructive light. I would have thought that at local level there should be more flexibility to facilitate maternity leave for councillors.