Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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952. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if Directive (EU) 2019/1158 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on work-life balance for parents and carers and repealing Council Directive 2010/18/EU has been transposed into Irish law. [44826/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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EU Directive 2019/1158 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on work-life balance for parents and carers has been transposed in full through the provisions of the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023. Enacted on 4 April 2023, the Act introduces important entitlements for workers, including leave for medical care purposes for parents of children under 12, and the right to request flexible working for parents and carers, as provided for in the EU Work Life Balance Directive (2019/1158). Such flexible working arrangements will allow parents and carers to alter their working day or pattern to care for children or others for whom they have caring responsibilities. The Act also provides for a right to request remote working for all employees.

All of the provisions of the Act have now been commenced, including the introduction, as of 3 July 2023, of leave for medical care purposes for parents and carers and amendments to the Maternity Protection Acts to provide for the extension of breastfeeding breaks. An order amending regulations relating to breastfeeding breaks made under the Maternity Protection Acts was also made on that date.

The right to request flexible working for parents and carers and the right to request remote working for all employees, were commenced on 6 March 2024 following the preparation of a Code of Practice by the Workplace Relations Commission. The Code includes guidance for employers and employees on their obligations regarding compliance. In addition, all workers have the right to request remote working from their employer.

The 2023 Act provides explicitly for a review of the right to request flexible working for parents and carers two years after commencement of those provisions.

Legislative provisions introducing domestic violence leave were also commenced on 27 November 2023. Section 7 of the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 inserts a new Section 13AA into the Parental Leave Act 1998 (as amended) to provide for five days paid domestic violence leave in any 12 month period. Victims of domestic violence will receive their full pay if they need to take domestic violence leave.