Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 February 2024
249. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to respond to concerns raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8440/24]
View answerThe Minister for Health leads on the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022 which includes provisions in relation to surrogacy and policy on parentage is a matter for the Minister for Justice. Entitlements to family leaves will be considered in the context of legislative proposals in the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022.
Intending parents from a surrogacy agreement may be entitled to Paternity Leave or Parents’ Leave, depending on their circumstances. The father of a child born through surrogacy can qualify for Paternity Leave and Parents’ Leave if he is the biological father of the child and declared to be the parent of the child. In these circumstances, the father's partner may qualify for Parents’ Leave if they are married to, or in a civil partnership with, the child’s biological father, or have cohabited with the child’s biological father for over 3 years.
Under the Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016 (as amended) a relevant parent of a child is entitled to two weeks paid leave at any time in the first six months after the birth of the child. A relevant parent under the Act includes the father of the child.
Under the Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 (as amended), working parents are entitled to seven weeks of paid Parents' Leave for each relevant parent, to be taken in the first two years after the birth or adoptive placement of a child. Parent’s Leave and Benefit will increase by a further two weeks to nine weeks by August 2024.
Policy on the benefits associated with these leaves is a matter for the Minister for Social Protection.
