Written answers

Tuesday, 5 April 2022

Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Parental Leave

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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558. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if a person takes parental leave for one child in the form of two six-week blocks can they take the other 14 weeks or is this time lost (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18103/22]

Photo of Roderic O'GormanRoderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Family leaves are an important tool for working families to balance their working lives with the needs of their families and the current entitlements for parents in Ireland includes a range of options, both paid and unpaid.

Under the Parental Leave Act 1998 (as amended), an employee who is a relevant parent in respect of a child under the age 12 is entitled to 26 weeks unpaid parental leave for each child. Where a child has a disability or long-term illness, the entitlement can continue until the child is 16. A relevant parent is a parent, an adoptive parent, or a person acting in ‘loco parentis’.

An employee must give their employer written notice of their intention to take parental leave at least six weeks in advance of taking the leave and a confirmation document setting out the details of the leave should be signed by the employee and employer at least four weeks in advance of the commencement of the leave.

Under the legislation, the leave can be taken as one continuous period of leave or in 2 separate periods of not less than 6 weeks each. With the agreement of the employer, the leave may also be taken in the form of working days or hours.

Where a dispute arises in relation to the entitlements of an employee under the Parental Leave Act, a complaint can be made to the Workplace Relations Commission.

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