Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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753. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he has considered engaging with employers to encourage them to top up rates of parent’s benefit to encourage parents to avail of this leave; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41933/21]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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754. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he has considered engaging with employers to encourage them to top-up levels of parent’s benefit to encourage parents to take up the newly extended parent’s leave without financial penalty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41935/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 753 and 754 together.

Under the Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019, and subsequent amendments made under the Family Leave and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2021, working parents are entitled to five weeks of paid parent's leave for each relevant parent, as defined in the legislation, to be taken in the first two years after the birth or adoptive placement of a child. The definition of relevant parent under the Act includes a parent of the child and the spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of a parent of the child.

The intention of parent’s leave is to enable parents to spend time with their child in the earliest years and is deliberately non-transferrable between parents to ensure that both parents are encouraged and supported in taking time out from work to spend time with their child.  This is further supported through the provision of Parent’s Benefit, which is paid at an equivalent rate to maternity, paternity and adoptive benefits at €245 per week.  It is open to employers to top up payments.  There is no barrier preventing them from doing so.

It is important that the provision of family leaves meet the needs of working parents and families and my Department is monitoring the uptake of family leaves and will examine the need for further actions, as required.