Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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39. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the family leave Bill 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15155/16]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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The purpose of the Family Leave Bill is to consolidate all the family leave legislation (maternity, paternal, adoptive and carer’s leave) in one Act. This will be a significant statute law consolidation and revision project. The subject matter – leave entitlements from employment for family-related matters – is of interest to all employees, employers, their representatives, members of the legal profession and agencies dealing with employment-related complaints. The proposed Bill consolidates the law on family leave that is at present fragmented across seven individual Acts.

There is considerable overlap as well as discrepancies and anomalies as between the various Acts and many issues of this nature have been identified in drafting the Heads and others will emerge and can be addressed as the Bill is being drafted.

In relation to paternity leave, the intention, as announced in Budget 2016, is to make provision for 2 weeks leave together with the associated social welfare benefit. I will publish the Paternity Leave and Benefit Bill 2016 shortly. It was originally intended that these provisions would be progressed as part of the Family Leave Bill but they will now be progressed as a stand alone Bill to ensure that the leave is in place as from 30 September.

The Family Leave Bill will continue to be progressed as a longer-term project.