Gabrielle McFadden (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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67. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if the necessary time required for the hospital care of pre-term babies will be excluded from the standard period of paid maternity leave. [44633/14]

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin North Central, Labour)
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Section 7 of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) Act 2004 provides for postponement of maternity leave in the case of when the child is hospitalised. A request for postponement can only be made when at least 14 weeks of the maternity leave has been taken and the employer agrees to the postponement of the leave.

The current entitlement with regard to maternity leave is 26 weeks together with 16 weeks additional unpaid maternity leave. This is above the European average and there is also a provision of 18 weeks parent leave for each parent per child. This leave is unpaid.

The Family Leave Bill will be published in early 2015 and as already announced, this Bill will provide for the consolidation into one piece of legislation of the current provisions regarding maternity, adoptive, parental and carer's leave. This may also provide an opportunity to consider other issues with regard to the operation of such leave.