Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 November 2020
174. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35741/20]
View answerI am conscious of demands on parents at this time. I hope that the additional measures, introduced by the Government in recent years, to support working parents are helping to ease some of these demands.
Parental leave, which is available to either parent, was increased from 22 to 26 weeks on 1 September 2020. Parents can take parental leave for each eligible child before their 12th birthday. Both parents have an equal separate entitlement to parental leave. The leave is generally not transferrable between parents as the intention behind this leave is to encourage and facilitate both parents to spend time with their child.
Furthermore, in addition to maternity leave, each parent may now 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 Government intends to extend parent's leave from two weeks to five weeks for each parent of all children born or adopted on or after 1 November 2019. The Government also intends on extending the period in which parent's leave can be taken up until that child turns two or, in the case of an adoption, two years after the adoption placement date of the child. This extension will apply to parents who may have already availed of their existing entitlements.
Provisions for family leave will continue to be reviewed by the Government and policy development is ongoing in this important area.
