Minister Helen McEntee and her husband are expecting their first baby which is joyous news and we all wish them well.
There were some cynical reactions to the announcement in my opinion. The keyboard warriors were busy - so what, it s a baby, it happens every day, no big deal .
To a degree I understand where they are coming from. Ireland has moved on from the 1970s, when maternity leave was introduced, so why the fanfare?
As someone who has had two children as a sitting politician and never received any maternity leave or even an acknowledgement from my employer - I was a County Councillor on my first and a Senator on my second - I see the issue as the blind eye that is turned by those in command.