A new bill is being launched looking to provide paid childcare leave for parents who have to mind children due to coronavirus.
It is being proposed by RISE and People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy.
He told Newstalk Breakfast current advice from the Government is disproportionately affecting women.
"If you're in a crisis situation, where very many families are at this stage, where they simply can't continue to kind of double job with work and childcare, they say you should try and reach an accommodation with your employer.
"But if you can't reach that accommodation, you should go on the PUP - but the consequence of going on the PUP is that you're out of the workforce."
"That's something that disproportionately hits women, in particular".
He said the rate of unemployment for women in now higher than men, which is the first time in several years.
He suggested Ireland could learn from our European neighbours.
"The alternative is to have a system like they have in Germany, Sweden, Austria, Slovenia and Portugal - whereby people are entitled to childcare leave which is paid and linked to their employer".
But he said the onus would be on larger firms, rather than smaller businesses.
"What we would favour is a system where big businesses... would pay for the childcare leave - but small businesses, it would be paid out of a general social insurance fund".
Asked how the system would be vetted and controlled, Deputy Murphy said it would be dealt with in the same way as sick pay.
"The employer can go to the same place as they can go if they dispute the fact that, for example, they think you have forged your doctor's note - or they think that you are illegitimately claiming that you simply cannot go to work - then they can go to the Workplace Relations Commission."
Asked why the employer should cover the cost, instead of workers going on the PUP, he said: "The relationship to the employer is vital."
"Otherwise they no longer work for the employer, otherwise they're effectively unemployed, and they have to go back to their employer after the pandemic and say 'Oh, can I have my job back' and maybe someone else has come to fill the job.
"So it is much better that people have the connection to the employer, the connection to the workforce".
He added that this scheme could also be applied generally when, for instance, parents have to stay home when children are sick.
