Emer Currie (Fine Gael)
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The reason to raise this Commencement matter is to call on the Government to deliver wholly on the purpose of the Parent's Leave and Benefit Act to facilitate working parents to balance paid employment and responsibilities to their children in a fair and equitable way. At present, each parent is entitled to two weeks' paid leave for children born from November 2019.The amendment extends this to five weeks for each parent, and under the EU directive it could extend further to seven or nine weeks.

The Act currently does not acknowledge or provide for one-parent families where one parent is doing the job of two. That is one in five families in the country. It takes into consideration families that were two-parent families where one parent dies but not when they both remain alive, which it should from an actuarial perspective. This legislation currently overlooks lone parents and this must be addressed. As a State, we cannot assume all families are headed by two parents and families have always come in all shapes and sizes. We must ensure we can support them in what they do rather than in their composition.

One-parent families doing the job of two parents should get the same amount of leave as two-parent families and the State should treat all families in a fair and equitable way. This is not just about equality as it is also about social justice. These parents are doing it all - parenting, working and everything else - but they are more vulnerable to hardship and poverty. The consistent poverty rate for one-parent families is 17.1% versus 5.5% for the population as a whole, according to 2019 figures. These people are five times as likely to experience deprivation and we know 86% of one-parent families have women as the parent, so we know they are more likely to return to work before their baby is six months old. They are also less likely to be in employment after nine months because of childcare needs. Let us remember that part of the legislation's purpose is to promote participation by mothers in the workplace, and it is another reason for the amendment.

I understand how we got here and I agree with what we are doing in trying to ensure we share the care, as it were. Much of the focus of this legislation is about that and trying to bring more equality between men and women. Ireland has huge progress to make in this area, including behavioural change, in trying to ensure duties are shared between the sexes. Covid-19 has shown us that. It is possible nevertheless to support that objective and one-parent families.

I have provided two options to the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the relevant Oireachtas committee. They could look at transferring paid leave, and where it is not an option, additional leave could be provided for the relevant parent. This is to ensure we meet all the obligations and objectives of the legislation. I sincerely hope we can find a workable solution to this matter. The State should recognise all families and children equally.

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Currie for raising this important matter and all her work in the area to date, which is very valued and important. We are now more conscious than ever of balancing work and caring responsibilities and the burden this places on working families. The Covid-19 pandemic has transformed our working and home lives, enabling new ways of working that may eventually assist women to continue their careers who would otherwise have left the workforce due to family obligations. This is a particularly acute challenge for lone parents, who as the Senator notes tend to be women.

As the Minister with responsibility for gender equality and for children, Deputy O'Gorman recognises the importance of supporting all families. A broad range of family leave amendments have been developed in recent years intended to provide support and options for parents in balancing their work obligations and their family life. Various forms of family leave, combined with access to childcare, are a very important in ensuring women remain part of the workforce and can help prevent them falling into the poverty cycle.

In November 2019, the Parent's Leave and Benefit Act 2019 introduced two weeks of paid leave for each parent, and this leave must be taken in the first year after the birth or adoptive placement of a child. The intention of this leave is to enable parents to spend time with their child in the earliest years. This leave is deliberately non-transferable between parents to ensure both parents are encouraged and supported in taking time out from work to spend time with their child. It is an entitlement for each parent in their own right, regardless of whether they are in a relationship or live together. The Act was drafted in such a way as to comprehend the broad complexion of family life that exists and allows for an entitlement for the spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of the parent.It is important to note that entitlement to parents' leave is for the individual parent, it is not an allocation per family.

In recognition of the unique pressures that Covid-19 has placed on new parents, in December 2020 the Government approved proposals that each parent will be given an additional three weeks of paid parents' leave and the period in which it can be taken will be extended to the first two years after the birth or adoptive placement of a chid. This change requires legislation to be enacted and its drafting is now well advanced. I understand that the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, hopes to be in a position to bring this to the Government in the coming weeks. The Government recognises that many parents are awaiting the introduction of this leave and it is being given a very high priority in the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. I understand that lone parents are shouldering a tremendous burden in the current climate, and often during this time without the support of grandparents or other family members who would otherwise be able to help with childcare or other needs. The National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017-2020 has specific actions designed to reduce poverty of female-headed households, including lone parent families, and the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has decided to extend the lifespan of the strategy until the end of this year to enable actions interrupted by Covid-19 to be brought to a conclusion. An independent evaluation of the strategy will take place this year, which will help to feed into the development of the future strategic policy for gender equality. Any future strategic policy will continue to place a particular emphasis on the most vulnerable women and girls, including lone parents.

Emer Currie (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State. From his answer it is not looking like this amendment is going to happen at this time. In his response the Minister of State stated "It is important to note that entitlement to parents' leave is for the individual parent, it is not an allocation per family." In these instances, however, such parents are doing the job of two parents. They are under a lot of pressure and I believe we must take a broader perspective on this to look at the poverty rates and employment rates for lone parents. This will have benefits holistically. I do not agree that it is as simple as it being for the individual parent. I am not trying to take parents' leave away from anybody. This is about additional need and additional supports where additional supports are needed.

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Currie. I will raise that with the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. Senator Currie has articulated very strongly the merits, as well as the concerns lone parents have where they find themselves in very challenging circumstances and in need of key support, which I fully appreciate. I can see from running and living through a very busy constituency office, as the Senator also does, many of these concerns coming in from families of all types in this modern era. I will raise the point on the amendment the Senator has proposed. I will write to the Minister to explain what the Senator has articulated here today and I will revert back to the Senator on it.