Aisling Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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1511. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if a child’s parent from a one-parent household can avail of 52 weeks of parental leave, as opposed to 26 weeks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58525/25]

Aisling Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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1512. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on a disparity with parental leave (details supplied). [58526/25]

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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1550. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to consider an amendment to the Family Leave and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2021 in relation to parents leave, to ensure parents who have sole custody, can avail of additional leave, further to a court ruling in Spain in January 2025 that families should be treated equally regardless of family structure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59332/25]

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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1608. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department will examine schemes where single parents of newborn children can access the full leave entitlements of two-parent families as seen in other European countries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60030/25]

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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1609. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider changing Ireland's parental leave legislation to address the disparity faced by one-parent families, whereby children in such households are effectively entitled to only half the parental leave available to children in two-parent households; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60031/25]

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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1610. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the Programme for Government commitment to examine the possible extension of parent's leave and benefit and additional flexibilities; if this will include examining schemes where single parents of newborn children can access the full leave entitlements of two-parent families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60032/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1511, 1512, 1550 and 1608 to 1610, inclusive, together.

There have been significant developments in entitlements for parents of working families in recent years. The Government is committed to supporting workers, including by extending paid leave for parents to allow them to spend more time with their child during their earliest years.

Under the Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019, working parents are entitled to nine 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, as required by the EU Work Life Balance Directive.

It is important to note that the entitlement under the 2019 Act is for each parent in their own right and is not an allocation per family. The Act was drafted to take account of the broad complexion of family life, including one parent families, and allows for an entitlement for the spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of the parent. Parents do not have to cohabit to be eligible for the entitlement. However, the leave is non-transferable to ensure that fathers as well as mothers are supported in their caring roles and to support women's equal labour market participation. The principle of non-transferability is also required by the EU Work-Life Balance Directive because of the importance of ensuring that the provision of family leave does not serve to disadvantage mothers participating in the labour market.

Under the Parental Leave (Amendment) Act 2019, 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.

It should be noted that the legislation only sets out the minimum entitlement to parental leave. Depending on an individual’s contract of employment, they may have more extensive rights to parental leave, as employers have the option to offer more than the entitlement set out in the legislation.

Government is acutely aware of the additional challenges faced by one-parent families and their greater risk of poverty. Government will continue to address the challenges through taxation and welfare systems and the range of services provided. There is also a commitment in the Programme for Government 2025, ‘Securing Ireland’s Future’, to continue to prioritise and enhance supports for lone parents.

To the extent that the matter falls within the Department, I am committed to working with colleagues to support one-parent families through the development of enhanced and targeted supports for single parent families and am cognisant of the difficulties faced by lone parents and will examine where additional supports could be provided to them.

The One-parent family payment, which is a provision of the Department of Social Protection, is a payment for parents under 66 who are not cohabiting, and whose youngest child is under 7.

Family leave provisions are kept under review to ensure that they are effective and respond to the needs of families and also mindful of the impact of the leaves on workplaces. The Programme for Government sets out a commitment to examine the possible extension of parent's leave and benefit and additional flexibilities. The next National Strategy for Women and Girls, which is due to be launched in November, will consider ways to support working families in balancing the competing demands of family and work.