Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 May 2024
101. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will consider extending the Parental Leave (Amendment) Act 2019 from the age of 12 to 18 years. [22067/24]
View answerUnder the Parental Leave Act 1998 (as amended), an employee who is a relevant parent in respect of a child under the age 12 is entitled to 26 weeks unpaid parental leave for each child. Where a child has a disability or long-term illness, the entitlement can continue until the child is 16. A relevant parent is a parent, an adoptive parent, or a person acting in ‘loco parentis’. There have been significant developments in the entitlements to family leaves for working families in recent years, and this includes the extension of the parental leave entitlements in 2019 from 18 weeks to 26 weeks, and the extension of the time period in which the leave can be taken from when the child attains the age of 8 years to when the child attains the age of 12 years. The focus of family leave is on the younger child because it is considered that benefits of such leave are greatest for younger children. The Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 was enacted on 4 April 2023, and introduces further important entitlements for workers, including leave for medical care purposes for parents of children under 12, and the right to request flexible working for parents and carers. The right to request flexible working for parents and carers and remote working for all employees was commenced on 6 March 2024 following the preparation of a Code of Practice by the Workplace Relations Commission under Part 4. The Code includes guidance for employers and employees on their obligations regarding compliance. Family leave provisions are kept under review to ensure that they are appropriate to the needs of working parents. Mindful of the significant new leave entitlements being brought forward this year through the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023, however, there are no current plans to modify entitlements to parental leave.
