On 21 April the Government gave its approval for the drafting of a Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill, the main purpose of which is to transpose elements of the EU Work Life Balance Directive and provide new rights to parents and carers in order to support a better work life balance. The General Scheme of the proposed Bill is published on my Department's website.
The General Scheme was referred for pre-legislative scrutiny to the Oireachtas Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, which published its report on 9 June.
The General Scheme has been referred to the Office of the Attorney General for drafting of the Bill. The Bill is currently being drafted by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel in the Office of the Attorney General and will be brought to Government when completed.
The Bill is on the priority list for publication this session and it is intended to seek enactment as quickly as possible after that.