Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 September 2020
202. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports in place for parents of children that are sent home from school as a result of Covid-19 and that therefore have to miss work to care for them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23006/20]
View answerThe Government has requested employers to be as flexible as possible in allowing staff time off to look after their children or other members of their families during COVID 19. Some of the flexible options include offering paid compassionate leave, allowing employees to work from home, altering shifts so that employees can coordinate caring between themselves and partners or another person, allowing employees to rearrange holidays and allowing employees to take paid time off that can be worked back at a later time.
Where it is not possible to make appropriate compassionate leave arrangements, employees may be able to call on some statutory entitlements including force majeure leave, parental leave together with parental benefit or carers leave together with carers benefit or carers allowance.
From 1st September each parent is now entitled to 26 weeks unpaid parental leave where a person has been working for their employer for at least 1 year in general.
Any person who is experiencing financial hardship may be eligible for other financial supports under the means tested Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme including an Exceptional or Urgent Needs Payment.
I trust that this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
