Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 April 2023
446. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 387 of 28 March 2023 to the Minister for Education, if he plans to introduce any reforms to civil and public service staff leave arrangements for parents who have had a child through surrogacy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16958/23]
View answerSurrogacy leave is not a statutory leave entitlement in Ireland. There are a number of statutory leave policies in place for parents in the civil service which implement the provisions of the relevant legislation.
Maternity leave in the Civil Service is granted under Circular 31 of 2006 which implements the provisions of maternity protection legislation which is under the remit of the Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The granting of maternity leave in the Civil Service is conditional on an employee being eligible for statutory maternity leave. Similarly, adoptive leave is granted to civil servants in accordance with the Adoptive Leave Acts 1995 and 2005, which outline the eligibility criteria. This legislation is also under the remit of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
Parental Leave in the Civil Service is granted under Circular 20 of 2008 which implements the provisions of the Parental Leave Acts 1998 -2019. Parental leave is available to all relevant parents in Ireland. Relevant parent means a parent, an adoptive parent, or a person acting in ‘loco parentis'.
