Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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503. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there are plans to increase the age of a child for whom a parent wants to take parental leave to above 12 years. [52998/22]

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. Parental leave is one of a range of measures supporting parents to reconcile family and working life.

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’.

In addition to unpaid leave, the suite of paid leaves has also been expanded in recent years. The Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 (as amended), provides working parents with an entitlement 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. In line with 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.

On 21 April, the Government gave its approval for the drafting of a Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill, which passed Second Stage in Dáil Éireann on 13 October and will now continue its passage through the Houses. 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 in line with Article 9 of the Directive and the introduction of five days leave per year for medical care purposes in line with Article 6. The Bill will also extend the current entitlement to breastfeeding/lactation breaks under the Maternity Protection Acts from six months to two years. The proposals will complement family leave and other entitlements already in place and provide additional flexibility to ensure that parents and carers can be supported to balance their working and family lives.

Provisions relating to family leave entitlements are kept under review to ensure that they are effective and respond to the needs of families. Mindful of the recent significant increase in family leave entitlements, the Government has no plans to make any further amendments to parental leave entitlements.