Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 April 2019
518. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of introducing two weeks' paid bereavement leave at a rate of €203 per week per parent who has been bereaved of a child under 18 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14739/19]
View answerThe question as to whether an employee is entitled to take time off in such circumstances depends on whether any provision exists in the employee’s contract of employment providing for such leave. For the vast majority of workers, conditions of employment, including bereavement leave provisions, are matters for negotiation between employers and employees. In the absence of any such provisions in an employment contract, bereavement leave is normally granted at the discretion of the employer.
My colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, has policy responsibility for maternity leave, parental leave, carer's leave, and force majeure leave. So the issue of bereavement leave would fall within this category of compassionate or family leave. I understand that officials at the Department of Justice and Equality are currently working on a Family Leave Bill, which will consolidate into one piece of legislation the current provisions regarding maternity, adoptive, parental and carer’s leave. However, I understand that there are no proposals to include Bereavement Leave in this Bill.
It is not readily possible to provide an estimated full-year cost of introducing two weeks' paid bereavement leave per parent who has been bereaved of a child under 18 as it would depend on a range of variables - including the likely number of such bereavements, the likely number of parents covered by social insurance contributions, the eligibility requirements that would be determined for such a scheme, etc.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
