Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

562. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress that has been made to amend the policy regarding parents' leave and benefit to allow lone parents to avail of full-time entitlement as is the case with two-parent families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51276/22]

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

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 amendments to parent's leave currently planned.