David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senators from all sides of the House for their valuable contributions to this Second Stage debate and for their broad support for the Paternity Leave and Benefit Bill 2016.

We all want what is best for children. All the evidence shows that in parenting what is best for children is the involvement of their fathers in their practical care and day-to-day lives. Even a short amount of paternity leave can equip new fathers with the skills and confidence that are instrumental in providing that care. Fathers who take paternity leave are more likely to take an active role in child care tasks as the child grows. Evidence also shows that paternity leave has longer-term benefits for a child’s development and learning abilities. The benefits that paternity leave delivers to the whole family extend well beyond the few weeks the father spends with his new baby.

Paternity leave promotes equality for women. While it is ostensibly a measure that supports working fathers, it also promotes and supports higher levels of female participation in the labour force. When child care responsibilities fall mainly on mothers, the effect is to reduce women’s salaries. Time away from work can deprive women of experience and promotions. When men share more of the child care, the effect is lessened.

This Bill, through its introduction of a combined package of leave and paternity benefit, promotes increased involvement of fathers in a thoroughly practical way. The Department of Social Protection will provide a minimum of paid paternity benefit of €230 per week for the two weeks of paternity leave. A father can commence paternity leave up to the end of the 26th week after the child’s birth, which allows a significant amount of flexibility and recognises that families might have different child care needs.

The Government is acutely aware of the pressures on young families and wants to implement measures to support them. As the Tánaiste said, this legislation will bring the number of weeks of paid support to parents upon the birth of their child to 28. We hope that we will be in a position to extend this provision further in the years ahead. The programme for partnership Government also contains a commitment to increase parental leave significantly over the next five years, with an initial focus on increasing paid parental leave in the first year of birth.

I would like at this point to address some of the points made. Farmers are covered by this legislation. In regard to the question on antenatal care for fathers, we will look at that issue in the context of the family leave Bill. I thank the Senator for that very good suggestion. I agree with Senator Ó Ríordáin that employment should be seen as an equality tool. I will be promoting that view at my meeting with the business community. The Senator also spoke of the need to open up employment opportunities for Travellers, which issue will be prioritised in the context of the strategy that will developed later in the year.The definition of relevant parent covers the family in all forms and will cover all spouses with the exception of the adoptive leave issue which I mentioned earlier. This means paternity leave is available to males in same-sex couples but not for adoptive leave yet.

The Government is also cognisant of limiting potential costs of family leave to businesses. In this regard, the Bill ensures there will be no statutory obligation on an employer to continue to pay the normal salary during paternity leave. There will also be no change to employers’ PRSI to fund this proposal.

I thank the House for its support and positive suggestions. I look forward to further engagement on the Bill’s next Stages, as well as with other progressive legislation we will be introducing in the time ahead.