Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 441: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his proposals to amend Irish law to strengthen the rights of fathers in respect of paternity leave rights and of rights where the child is born outside marriage; the treatment of these issues in other EU countries as shown by his research; and if he envisages constitutional obstacles to changes in these areas. [22343/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I assume the Deputy is enquiring about paternity leave rights of married and unmarried fathers.

I have no objection in principle to the introduction of a statutory entitlement to a short period of paternity leave. However, I take the view that securing consensus among the social partners is a crucial element before doing so. The Agreed Programme for Government includes a commitment to examine the possibility of introducing paternity benefit. The question of permitting unmarried fathers to avail of paternity leave can be examined in that context.

As regards practice in the EU countries, I refer the Deputy to the Report of the Working Group on the review of the Parental Leave Act 1998 which was published by my Department in April 2002. It contains at pages 45 to 47 an analysis of paternity leave entitlements in the 15 countries which were members of the EU at the time.