Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

I reassure the Senator on the last point. Employers are not obliged to grant male employees special paternity leave, paid or unpaid, following the birth of a child. Unpaid parental leave is available. Paternity leave for three days at 80% of wages subject to a minimum of €207.80 and a maximum of €280 per week would cost €6 million rising to approximately €10 million for five days' paid leave. That is based on the assumption that all fathers would take up the leave and that 95% would be paid at the higher rate. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform would have to introduce the necessary legislation as it would come under his jurisdiction. Parental leave entitles both parents to qualify to take up to 14 weeks' unpaid leave in respect of children aged up to eight years. Much of this legislation comes from the European Union and no doubt in future we will have to examine this area probably in the context of European directives.