Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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303. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he has considered amending the policy regarding parent’s leave and benefit to allow lone parents to take leave equal to the time two parent families can avail of in an effort to give children of lone parents a more equitable start in life; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49276/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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There have been significant advances in the provision of family leaves in recent years to support parents to play a greater role in their children's early development.

Under the Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 (as amended), working parents are entitled to seven 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. As stipulated in the EU Work Life Balance Directive 2019/1158, the leave is non-transferable between parents to ensure that both parents are encouraged and supported in taking time out from work to bond with their child. This is further supported through the provision of Parent’s Benefit.

It is important to note that the entitlement under the Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 (as amended) 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.

Family leave entitlements are kept under review to ensure that they are effective and respond to the needs of families. The EU Work Life Balance Directive requires nine weeks paid parental leave for each parent by August 2024, however, there are no immediate amendments to parent's leave currently planned.