The Government is being urged to allow women undergoing cancer treatment defer their maternity leave.
A campaign called "Leave our Leave" is being launched by the Irish Cancer Society today.
It says legislation in its current form affects up to 60 women every year, and it has been described as "unfair".
CEO Averil Power says changes to legislation would be very easily done.
"The time they had planned to spend bonding with and caring for their baby has been taken away by their cancer treatment.
"The Paternity Leave Act which is more recent obviously than the maternity legislation allowed men to park their paternity leave, which isn't there in the maternity acts.
"We think it was probably an oversight, and we're calling on the Minister to change it, and the precedent is there from the other legislation."
