Vol. 502 No. 1
59 Mr. McDowell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will introduce some form of payment for parental leave in view of the amendment he introduced during the passage of the legislation which removed the words "without pay" from section 6 of the Parental Leave Act, 1998; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7194/99]
During the passage of the Parental Leave Act I introduced an amendment to delete the words "without pay" from section 6. I made it clear at the time that by deleting these words I was not imposing an obligation on employers to provide paid leave or making a commitment about any form of State benefit for persons on parental leave. The amendment was introduced in response to concerns that the inclusion of the words "without pay" might prevent an employer from paying for parental leave, if he or she so wished. I was conscious of the need to avoid compromising future negotiations under Partnership 2000 and of the concerns raised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
