Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I understand where the Deputy is coming from but this is not something that can be done on a temporary basis. We are dealing with primary legislation here and if we put in three years we would have to bring in primary legislation to take that out if we decided to shorten the period. It is different from dealing with it through a statutory instrument. We are making a significant change to the time period within which parental leave can be taken. We are doubling the period. Doing so does deviate us slightly from the core of what this legislation is trying to do, which is to give parents time in those early weeks and months following the birth of the child. However, there is a very strong reason for that because of Covid and we are recognising the difficulties new parents have had in that context. If we were to take it to the three-year point it would take the Bill a long way from supporting parents in those early months and years. If we made this change according to Deputy Whitmore's amendment, it could not be altered other than through another piece of primary legislation. The position the Government is taking, which is to extend and double that period from one year to two, is the best position to take.

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