Minister Helen McEntee has called for further overhaul of maternity leave structures in the Oireachtas, describing the requirement for female politicians to produce a medical sick certificate to take maternity leave as "completely ridiculous". Her comments follow recent administrative complications surrounding maternity leave taken by Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns.

It emerged that Cairns was required to submit a sick certificate to account for her absence while on maternity leave following the birth of her daughter. Cairns also recently repaid approximately €8,500 in travel and accommodation allowances after automated payments continued into her constituency account during her leave. She had previously notified parliamentary authorities of her absence and requested the payments be paused once she identified the error.

Speaking on Monday, McEntee noted that while legislation passed in October 2024 allowed members of the Oireachtas to take up to 26 weeks of paid maternity leave, further procedural reforms remain necessary. She stated that female representatives should not have to rely on medical certificates or navigate administrative confusion when taking maternity leave, emphasizing the need to break down barriers for women entering public life.