Skip to main content
Normal View

Parental Leave

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 July 2020

Tuesday, 7 July 2020

Questions (613)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

613. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will consider increasing the upper age limit for parental leave by one year, with particular reference to the ongoing restrictions concerning Covid-19 and the fact that parents who currently have saved parental leave to use may not get a chance to use it due to their child reaching 12 years of age before the end of the pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13888/20]

View answer

Written answers

I am conscious of demands on parents at this time and hope that the additional measures to support working parents that my department has introduced in recent years, including the new parent’s leave scheme and an extension of parental leave, are helping to ease some of these demands.

When the first Parental Leave Act was enacted in 1998, parental leave ended on the day on which the child concerned attained the age of 5 years. This age limit was increased in 2006 to 8 years by the Parental Leave (Amendment) Act 2006 and further increased in 2019 to 12 years by the Parental Leave (Amendment) Act 2019. There are currently no plans to increase this age limit.

It should be noted too that, in addition to parental leave, each parent may also avail of two weeks of parent’s leave during the first year of a child’s life and may qualify for parent’s benefit during this period. The Programme for Government contains a commitment to increase parent’s leave and this matter is currently under consideration.

Top
Share