Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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158. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to seek policy responsibility for parental leave. [46117/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Parental leave, and the range of different types of family leave which are available, are of considerable significance for children’s experiences and their outcomes.

For these reasons, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs has a clear interest in policy developments in these areas. To this end, officials from my Department have actively engaged in an Inter-Departmental Group this year on how to operationalise commitments in the Programme for Government to expand paid parental leave during the first year of a child’s life.

My Department has also led the drafting of a Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families which outlines significant actions to continue to making progress in this area in the coming decade. The Strategy will be published on 19th November.

The Department of Justice and Equality, in the context of its mandate to progress equality measures, has policy responsibility for Family Leave and will lead on the implementation of actions in this respect in the Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families, in partnership with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection in the case of paid leave entitlements.

The Department of Children and Youth Affairs will continue to work closely with colleagues across Government to progress actions on family leave and family friendly flexible working.

This collaborative approach across the relevant Government Departments is effective and I am not seeking to change it.