James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach and the Senators for the debate on the expansion of the parent's leave and benefit entitlement from seven to nine weeks. Regarding the uptake, from January to end of April 2024, there were 25,578 applications for the benefit, comprising 10,285 men and 15,293 women. Perhaps the gap is not as big, therefore, as we might have expected. As for surrogacy leave, officials are working with the Department of Health, Social Protection and enterprise to scope out surrogacy leave. I am told it is still at an early stage but I will certainly raise it with the Minister because lot of good work has been done in this area and it is important to get it resolved.

I thank those who have made welcome and insightful contributions. An important facet of parent's leave is to encourage the sharing of the childcare role. We hope this additional period of leave will support and encourage fathers to take a more prominent role in the care of their young children and this is further supported by the availability of the benefit while taking the leave, ensuring parents are not financially discouraged from taking time away from work to spend this important time with their child. My statement highlighted just a key selection of the steps the Government has taken to support working families in Ireland, including increasing parent's leave to nine weeks, increasing parental leave to 26 weeks and a suite of measures introduced under the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 to further assist working families. I am delighted that since the formation of the Government, we have been able to support tens of thousands of new parents to take time away from work to allow them to spend meaningful, quality time with their families in the knowledge they are financially supported.

I again thank the Acting Chairman and Senators for the opportunity to speak in the Seanad Chamber as we mark another significant increase in the family leave provisions for working families. I hope this proposed increase in paid parent's leave from seven to nine weeks, which has been debated in the Chamber today, will encourage even more parents to take up the offer.