Frank Fahey (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

The Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004 was introduced in this House over 12 months ago and a number of amendments were made during its passage through the House. I am glad to have the opportunity to return to the Seanad to report on further amendments made to the Bill in Dáil Éireann. One Government amendment and two Opposition amendments were accepted on Committee Stage, while two further Opposition amendments were accepted on Report Stage.

Amendment No. 1 allows for the transfer of parental leave between parents in situations where both parents are employed by the same employer. Such amendments were rejected during the passage of the Bill through the Seanad. However, on further reflection, I was able to accept them on Report Stage in the Dáil. The amendments offer parents some flexibility in how they care for their children by allowing couples employed by the same employer to share their parental leave entitlements in whatever manner they wish subject to the agreement of the employer.

Any provisions that allow for the transfer of parental leave between parents must take cognisance of the burden on the employer from an operational and administrative perspective. The amendment addresses this issue by confining the sharing of the leave entitlement to one employment and offering the option of working out an arrangement that will meet the needs of employers and employees. In situations where both parents work for the same company or employer, it might be suitable that one parent should be allowed to use the other's parental leave. I was happy to accept these amendments on the basis that they provide a balanced solution by offering enhanced flexibility to parents employed by the same company or employer while also recognising the operational requirements of the employer.