Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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603. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the timeframe for the transposition of the EU work-life balance directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36931/20]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Directive on Work-Life Balance for Parents and Carers aims to increase the participation of women in the labour market and the take-up of family-related leave and flexible working arrangements. It also provides opportunities for workers to be granted leave to care for relatives who need support. By modernising the existing EU legal framework in the area of family-related leaves and flexible working arrangements, it is envisaged that parents and carers will be better able to reconcile their professional and private lives, and companies will benefit from more motivated workers. Member States have three years to adopt laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with the Directive (2 August 2022). 

Member States are to provide for an individual right to 18 weeks of parental leave per parent, nine weeks of which must be non-transferable and paid at an adequate level, before the respective child reaches an age to be determined by the Member State (eight years minimum age). The right to request flexible uptake is enshrined in Article 5. This provision must be transposed within five years.

The Government intends to extend parent's leave from two weeks to five weeks for each parent of all children born or adopted on or after 1 Nov 2019. The Government also intends to extend the period in which parent's leave can be taken up until that child turns two or, in the case of an adoption, two years after the adoption placement date of the child. This extension will apply to parents who may have already availed of their existing entitlements. Heads of a Bill to effect these changes are currently being drafted in my Department and I hope to bring these to Government shortly.

The extension to parent's leave and benefit follows a number of advancements in family leaves in recent years, including the introduction of parents leave and benefit in 2019 and the extension of unpaid parental leave to 26 weeks in September this year for a child under 12 years. These advancements show Ireland's commitment to meeting the requirements of Article 5.