Proposals to extend maternity leave in cases of premature birth

The party want the new measures, which would cost around €5.4million, included in the next Budget.

Green Party TD Catherine Martin (pictured), said the motion, which will be debated this week, would see maternity benefit and leave extended for the mothers of babies born prematurely by the number of weeks prematurely a baby is born.

For example, if a child is born at 32 weeks, a mother would be entitled to an extra eight weeks maternity leave and benefit.

Ms Martin, whose three children were born full-term, said she could not begin to comprehend what a mother goes through when her child comes unexpectedly early.

She pointed out that currently legislation gives 26 weeks leave, and a further 16 weeks unpaid leave "but it doesn't take into consideration when a child comes premature".

"Your maternity leave kicks off when your child is born so we are looking to extend that to make it fairer.

She gave the example of one mother whose son Patrick was born at 23 weeks and spent the first 70 days of his life on life support.

"When Tara and her husband eventually got to that special moment when you take your child home, she had only eight weeks left of maternity leave.

"How is that fair, that someone like myself who had full-term babies gets 26 weeks and Tara who has been through those months of hell gets eight weeks? So we are looking to change that," Ms Martin said.

Green party leader Eamon Ryan said: "We think it would have a real practical effect on improving the lives of the youngest citizens of this state - premature babies - and their parents.

"To get this into the 2018 budget you have got to start now," he said.

The party said they have already got the support of the Labour party and the Solidarity-PBP grouping and are confident that other parties in Government and Opposition would back the measure when it comes before the Dáil this week.