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

Section 6 inserts a new section 13A into the Parental Leave Act 1998 to provide for an entitlement to leave for medical care purposes for parents and carers. This amendment would extend the cohort of parents and carers who are entitled to avail of leave for medical care purposes. I appreciate that there is a wide range of potential caring relationships but the Bill very much follows the definitions set out in the EU work-life balance directive, which is itself very broad and encompasses a significant range of family and other household relationships. The Bill provides an entitlement to leave for medical care purposes for the care of: a person of whom the employee is the relevant parent; the spouse or civil partner of the employee; his or her cohabitant; his or her brother or sister; or a person other than one specified in any of the relevant subparagraphs of the section who resides in the same household as the employee and is need of significant care or support for a serious medical reason. A broad set of categories and familial relations are already provided for in this legislation. I do not believe we need to make this particular amendment.