Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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On 21 April the Government gave its approval for the drafting of a Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill. The General Scheme of the proposed Bill is published on my Department's website. The main purpose of the proposed legislation is to transpose elements of the EU Work Life Balance Directive and provide new rights to parents and carers in order to support a better work life balance.

Under the proposed legislation, parents and carers will see a right to request flexible working, including the right to request compressed or reduced hours, the introduction of five days leave per year for serious medical care, and the extension of current entitlement to breastfeeding/lactation breaks under the Maternity Protection Acts from six months to two years, with corresponding positive impacts for the well-being of children. These proposals will complement family leave and other entitlements already in place and will provide additional flexibility. It is anticipated that provisions which enable parents to spend more time with their children will bring significant benefits to those children as research has proved that children benefit from their care of their parents, particularly in the first years of life.

The proposals also reflect commitments in the Programme for Government: Our Shared Future, in the National Strategy for Women and Girls, and in the First 5 Strategy to develop greater family-friendly flexible working arrangements and support breastfeeding.

The General Scheme has been referred to the Office of the Attorney General for drafting. The Bill is currently being drafted by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel in the Office of the Attorney General and will be brought to Government when completed.

The General Scheme was also referred for pre-legislative scrutiny to the Oireachtas Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, which published its report on 9 June.