Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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34. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to expand the provision of paternity leave and paid parental leave; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19222/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Justice and Equality have policy and legislative responsibility for paternity leave and parental leave. My Department has responsibility for any associated social welfare payments.

The Programme for Partnership Government commits the Government to increase paid parental leave in the first year of a child's life. An inter-departmental working group has been established, chaired by the Department of Justice and Equality, which is examining options for delivering on this commitment. In line with the Government’s commitment, the inter-departmental working group is focusing in particular on early years. It is expected that the working group will report later this month. Discussions are also ongoing at working group level in relation to an EU proposal for a Work-Life Balance Directive. This Directive includes a proposal to convert the current parental leave entitlement of 18 weeks unpaid leave per child into paid leave.

The proposed Directive is part of a package of measures to address under-representation of women in employment, and to support their career progression through improved conditions to reconcile their working and private duties.

Any expansion of current social welfare schemes would have to be considered in a budgetary context.