Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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140. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will consider supporting a suggestion that the qualifying age of a child in respect of whom a parent can take parental leave would be increased to enable the leave to be taken for as long as the child remains in primary school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11074/14]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Under current legislation parental leave may be taken in respect of a child up to the age of 8 years old or in the case of a child with a disability or serious illness up to the age of 16 years old.

Irish parental leave legislation is based on a EU Framework agreement between the employee and employer representatives at EU level. I am not aware of any plans to amend this agreement and I have no plans at present to amend our domestic legislation in this respect.