Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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247. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the reason 1 November 2019 was chosen as the date of eligibility for the new parental leave scheme as detailed in the Parent's Leave and Benefit Bill 2019; if an earlier or retrospective date was considered during drafting to allow all parents with a child in its first year to avail of the scheme; and when it will be available subject to the passing of the legislation. [41626/19]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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The Parent’s Leave and Benefit Bill 2019 will provide for two weeks of parent’s leave and benefit for all new parents in employment or self-employment in respect of children born or placed for adoption on or after 1 November 2019. This will facilitate parents in spending more time with their children in their critical first year of life. The Bill gives the Minister power to increase the leave to a maximum of nine weeks and there is already a commitment to increasing both leave and benefit to seven weeks for each parent by 2021.

Any retrospective date for entitlement to parent’s leave and benefit would amount to backdating the scheme. This would have the effect of creating a backlog of applications immediately on the introduction of the scheme and would have considerable unforeseen cost implications. Depending on the extent of backdating, this provision could also have the effect of extending parent’s leave beyond the first year after birth or adoption. With all of this in mind, the selection of I November 2019 as the date on which entitlement to parent’s leave and benefit will arise is considered the optimal choice for launching this important new initiative.