Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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294. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will engage with employers to encourage them to top-up employee parent’s leave rates to encourage its take-up; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47976/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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There has been a significant expansion in the provision of family leaves in recent years, with the introduction of paid parent's leave through the Parent's Leave and Benefit Act 2019 and its extension to five weeks this year with the Family Leaves and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2021; as well as extensions to unpaid parental leave through the Parental Leave Amendment Act 2019 to 26 weeks per child before their twelfth birthday.

These additional forms of family leave are a welcome boost to the work-life balance of working parents but they also have implications for employers. In this context, while employers are free to top up Parent's Benefit, the Government has no plans to require them to do so. My Department will continue to monitor the uptake of Parent's Leave and the wider suite of family leaves and will develop further policy positions based on any issues arising.