Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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301. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the actions she will take to address an anomaly related to Circular 54/2019; if a teacher has moved schools in the past 12-months, regardless of previous employment status or length of tenure, they cannot qualify for carer's leave; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68995/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The Carer's Leave Scheme is regulated by the Carer's Leave Act 2001, as amended.

The terms and conditions of the Carer's Leave Scheme for teachers are set out in my department's Circular 54/2019 and are based on the prescribed legislation. Under the terms of that Circular, a teacher may apply for Carer's Leave where he/she has satisfactorily completed one year's continuous service with the current employer. This requirement is waived where a teacher is compulsorily redeployed into a school or where a school is amalgamated provided that he/she has worked at least one full year in his/her former school prior to redeployment/amalgamation.

As previously advised, as this scheme is based on legislation brought by the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (formerly Enterprise, Trade and Employment) it is not possible for this Department to amend the criteria.