Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My colleague the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has policy and legal responsibility for Parent's Leave. I have responsibility for the associated Parent's Benefit.

Currently, seven weeks Parent's Leave and Benefit is available to all eligible parents within two years of their child's birth or adoption.

In Budget 2024, the Government provided for the number of weeks of Parent's Leave and Benefit available to eligible parents to be increased from seven weeks to nine weeks from August 2024.

The additional two weeks leave and benefit will apply to parents of children who are under age two in August 2024 or, in the case of adoption, where less than two years have passed since the child's placement.

Parents of children who turn two during the month of August 2024, or adoptive children who have been with their parents for less than two years at that point, are eligible for the additional two weeks Parent’s Benefit. Applications for the additional two weeks in these cases must be made before their child’s second birthday, or before the second anniversary of the child's adoption.

Section 7 of the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023 provides for the extended duration of the benefit, and I understand that my colleague the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth will be bringing forward a Regulation in relation to the extension of the duration of the leave.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.