Research dissemination and outreach

Oireachtas Briefing | PLACES Project - Pregnancy loss under 24 weeks in workplaces

28 Nov 2023

On 28 November, Professor Keelin O’Donoghue, Ruadh Kelly-Harrington, Marita Hennessy PhD and Professor Mary Donnelly (School of Law) briefed members of the Oireachtas on the findings of the PLACES Project.

The PLACES Project - Pregnancy Loss in Workplaces: Informing policymakers on support mechanisms - was commissioned by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) to examine workplace experiences of pregnancy loss before 24 weeks gestation and identify needed supports.

During the briefing, findings from a series of studies were presented:

  • Literature review
  • Scoping review of statutory leave for pregnancy loss in high-income countries
  • Pregnancy loss policies in a sample of companies in the Republic of Ireland
  • National survey of people’s experiences of pregnancy loss in workplaces in the Republic of Ireland (N=914)
  • In-depth interviews with 13 participants.

The nine recommendations for policy and practice arising from the integrated findings from these studies were also discussed. 

Many thanks to the DCEDIY, particularly Jane Ann Duffy (Principal Officer, Equality and Gender Equality), for organising this briefing.

Pregnancy Loss Research Group

Pregnancy Loss Research Group, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University College Cork, Fifth Floor, Cork University Maternity Hospital, Wilton, Cork, T12 YE02, Ireland,

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