THE NATIONAL Women's Council of Ireland (NWCI) has expressed serious concern that the Health Service Executive (HSE) is eroding statutory provisions on maternity leave cover.
An "unofficial" policy applied by the HSE under its "employment control framework" was hampering recruitment of temporary staff to replace people on maternity leave, the NWCI, the national representative women's organisation, said.
Obstacles within the HSE "framework" of January 2008 are also understood to be affecting cover for staff on long-term sick leave and on unpaid career breaks. This is placing "enormous and unfair pressure" on professionals across the health service, according to NWCI policy officer Orla O'Connor.
The Equality Authority has also warned that provision of satisfactory maternity leave arrangements is "crucial in terms of corporate social responsibility".
The Irish Nurses Organisation (INO), Siptu trade union and the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) have all confirmed to The Irish Times that they are aware of instances where maternity leave cover is not being provided, or provided at the "last minute".
Late last month, the INO's new president, Sheila Dickson, said nurses who went on maternity leave were not being replaced. She works as a senior staff nurse at St Columbanus's Home in Killarney, Co Kerry. Also, Wexford General Hospital manager Teresa Hanrahan said that 20 nurses were on maternity leave without replacements.
INO industrial relations officer for the west, Noreen Muldoon, said the difficulties arose because of the HSE's circular, issued on January 8th, 2008, after the recruitment embargo of September 2007 was lifted.
"As a result of this circular, maternity leave, long-term sick leave and career break leave is not automatically covered, as it depends on a staffing ceiling," Ms Muldoon said.
The impact was greater in acute hospitals, with a higher proportion of young female medical staff than in nursing homes and smaller rural hospitals, she added.
It is understood that laboratory staff, physiotherapists and social workers are also being affected by the measures.
IHCA spokesman Donal Duffy said his organisation had come across instances where there was "significant difficulty" in getting locum cover for consultants taking maternity leave. "In each instance, the approval only came at the 59th minute of the 11th hour," he said. "The HSE's circular of January 8th is designed to make it as difficult as possible to recruit staff."
The Government extended approved periods of paid and unpaid maternity leave two years ago. However, the provisions still do not match up to those of other European states, Equality Authority chief executive Niall Crowley told The Irish Times.
Mr Crowley said it was important that maternity leave was arranged to ensure that the wellbeing of pregnant women was protected, and that adequate staffing cover was provided.
The HSE said it kept staff numbers under "constant review" and decisions to employ replacement or new staff "must have due regard to the current budget allocation, the need to deliver services within budget and the approved employment ceiling".