Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

68. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to the inequality facing one parent families in relation to parent's leave; if the matter will be examined for Budget 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14877/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Under the Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 (as amended), working parents are entitled to five weeks of paid parent’s leave for each relevant parent, to be taken in the first two years after the birth or adoptive placement of a child.

The intention of this leave is to enable parents to spend time with their child in the earliest years. It is deliberately non-transferable 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.

It is important to note that the entitlement under the 2019 Act is for each parent in their own right and it is not an allocation per family. The Act was drafted in such a way as to take account of the broad complexion of family life and allows for an entitlement for the spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of the parent.

This means that each parent of the child, and their respective spouse, civil partner or cohabitant, is entitled to take parent’s leave in respect of that child. In effect this means that, if the parents of a child are not a couple but are in a separate relationship then their partner is entitled to parent’s leave to care for the child. As such there is no inequality for parents living apart as both can avail of the leave.

There are currently no plans to review the relevant provisions with respect to parent's leave entitlements for one parent families. The Government has, however, made provision in Budget 2022 to increase the number of weeks of Parent’s Leave and Benefit available to eligible parents from five weeks to seven weeks from July 2022. It has been decided that the additional two weeks' leave and benefit will apply to parents of children who are under age 2 in July 2022, or adoptive children who have been with their parents for less than two years at that point.