The Parent’s Leave and Benefit Bill 2019 provides for two weeks of parent’s leave and benefit for all new parents in employment or self-employment in respect of children born or placed for adoption on or after 1 November 2019. This is to facilitate parents to spend more time with their children in their critical first year of life.
The Government is currently considering a proposal to advance the extension of Parent’s Leave and Benefit to five weeks for all parents of children born after 1 November 2019, to enable every eligible parent to spend additional time with their child.
The Government proposal would mean that eligible parents of children born during the pandemic crisis would get an extra three weeks of Parent’s Leave to offset the impact of having a child during the strict lockdown measures. The period in which Parent’s Leave can be taken would also be extended from one year to two years.
This will be a matter for Minister O'Gorman to progress following the transfer of this function to his Department in the coming weeks.