Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I take that point. I am not sure if we will know from 1 January. It might be a little bit later. We hope to know in early 2021 if parents can take the leave at that point and claim the benefit later. We intend to have everything squared away by 1 April to allow parents to take the leave and claim the payment. We will look for clarity on that point as soon as possible. We are working to give parents that extra flexibility. I will work closely with my colleagues, the Ministers for Social Protection and Public Expenditure and Reform, to provide that. It is an important step, as the committee will be aware. It will offer six weeks of paid leave per child, available to either parent. Making this investment and ensuring it is available to both parents is significant to the work-life balance of families.