Ceist:
351 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will extend leave arrangements for foster parents on a basis equivalent to that granted for maternity and adoptive leave. [24554/99]
Written Answers. - Foster Parents' Leave.
The Maternity Protection Act, 1994, makes provision for the grant of 14 weeks maternity leave; four weeks additional maternity leave; and, where warranted, health and safety leave to expectant mothers and to mothers who have recently given birth. These statutory entitlements arise primarily from the necessity to protect working women around the time of the birth of a child. The leave gives indirectly an opportunity for the integration of a new baby into the household.
The Adoptive Leave Act, 1995, extends leave arrangements to adopting mothers and sole male adopters in line with those which are available to a natural mother at the time of the birth and addresses a specific anomaly in our treatment of adoptive mothers as compared with natural mothers.
In light of the above, I have no plans to extend leave arrangements for foster parents on a basis equivalent to maternity and adoptive leave.