Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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487. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of the extension of parent’s leave from five to seven weeks scheduled for July 2022; when this will commence; if the details will be provided in order that parents can start to make plans; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26454/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Currently, five weeks Parent's Leave and Benefit is available to all eligible parents of children born or adopted from 1 November 2019. The leave and benefit must be availed of within the first two years of the child’s life or adoption.

In Budget 2022, the Government provided for the number of weeks of Parent's Leave and Benefit available to eligible parents to be increased from five weeks to seven weeks from July 2022. The additional two weeks leave and benefit will apply to parents of children who are under age two in July 2022 or, in the case of adoption, where less than two years have passed since the child's placement.

I understand that the regulation to implement the changes to Parent's Leave is currently being finalised by the Department of Children, Equality, Integration, Disability and Youth. My Department is responsible for the associated changes to Parent's Benefit for the extended leave period. Section 8 of the Social Welfare Act 2021 provides for the extension of Parent's Benefit by two weeks. It requires a Commencement Order which will be brought forward shortly.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.