Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 6:

In page 16, line 34, to delete “2 years” and substitute “3 years”.

If a parent wants to take this leave, they have two years in which to do so. We all recognise the past year up-ended everybody's lives. Families have had to undergo huge pressures and changes within their family systems that they never expected. This amendment acknowledges that it was a year that was lost. Many families had to work from home and home school. Parents ended up taking leave that they may not have necessarily have taken previously. This amendment is an acknowledgment of the difficulties families have faced over the past year. Essentially, it would just extend that time period from two years to three years to give families that bit of flexibility and to enable them to actually take leave when it suits them and their children.

I acknowledge what the Minister said earlier on the gap and that there is a scheme available. It is not available to everyone, however. This will also tighten that gap. If we gave families an additional year and extended that period to three years, it would extend that flexibility to families. It would also close that gap between early childhood care and education, ECCE, or the start of school. It would also address the issues concerning the barrier for women returning to work. Three is the perfect number as ECCE begins for most children when they are three years of age.

Will the Minister consider this simple and minor amendment? There are no costs associated with it. It is an administrative arrangement that will go a long way to bring some flexibility back into the system for families.

See this speech in context