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

This amendment replicates and updates an existing transitional provision in section 11 of the Act. At present, under section 11(6A) where a parent takes two periods of parental leave in excess of six weeks in duration and has given proper notice to their employer but then wishes to postpone the leave, that postponement shall apply to both periods of leave unless an alternative arrangement is agreed with the employer. This provision was introduced as part of the Parental Leave (Amendment) Act 2006.

As the Government wishes to ensure that parents can take their leave in a flexible manner that suits families, Senators will recall that earlier I moved the amendment to insert section 7(1)(ba) to the 1998 Act. That amendment will allow parents to take their leave in multiple blocks of a week or more. However, as discussed, notification will still be required to take this leave. Due to the insertion of section 7(1)(ba), the Government has to introduce a similar arrangement in respect of postponement of leave taken under section 7(1)(ba).

Amendment No. 8 provides for the insertion of a new section 11(6B) in the Act to provide that where a parent has given the employer notification to take multiple periods of parental leave, in blocks of a week or more, under section 7(1)(ba) and where the parent then wishes to postpone that leave, the notification of postponement will be considered to apply to all periods of leave specified under that notice unless she or he agrees an alternative arrangement with the employer.