New paid parental leave scheme on course for November
Up to 60,000 parents a year are to gain new paid parental leave and benefit from November.
Under new plans to be published today, all new parents in employment or self-employment will be entitled to the two-week scheme.
The legislation extends unpaid parental leave from 18 weeks to 26 weeks for all parents with children under eight years.
The Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill will ultimately allow parents to take a total of six months of unpaid leave from their jobs without their employment rights being affected.
Parents will be able to benefit from seven weeks’ leave each under the scheme as it develops incrementally over the next three years.
The bill, which will benefit up to an estimated 60,000 parents a year, will also enable male same-sex couples to receive adoptive leave and benefit.
Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection Regina Doherty and Minister for Justice and Equality Charlie Flanagan announced that from this November all new parents in employment or self-employment will be able to avail of the new scheme, offering two weeks’ leave and benefit to spend with their new babies during their first year.
Minister Doherty said she hopes the scheme will encourage fathers to share parental responsibility with their partners.
“In that formative first year of life, children now have the opportunity to spend more time with both parents,” she said.
“Secondly, on top of the recently introduced paternity benefit, this extends the leave benefits available to fathers.
“Crucially, this new benefit is non-transferable and is available on a ‘use it or lose it’ basis.
This, I hope, will help to incentivise fathers to take more time off work to care for their children than has been the case up to now.
“The evidence shows that when fathers take a more significant and meaningful share in the parenting of their children the individual family benefits – and so does wider society, as by encouraging more fathers to take time off we are in a position to challenge the existing culture regarding work and gender.”
Minsters @ReginaDo, @CharlieFlanagan & @davidstantontd today announced that from this November all new parents in employment or self-employment will be able to avail of a new Parental Leave scheme. More info here: https://t.co/x2vPkIEAlG pic.twitter.com/nUpvRQVCgk
— Department of Social Protection (@welfare_ie) April 23, 2019
Minister Flanagan said:
“The leave will initially be set at two weeks, increasing on a phased basis over the next three years. This is in addition to existing maternity, paternity and adoptive leave entitlements.
It will provide working parents with further opportunity to spend more time with their baby in its crucial first year of development.
A draft General Scheme of the Bill was presented to Government on April 16 and approval was granted for the priority drafting of the Bill
The Bill also proposes to take the final steps needed to enable male same-sex couples to receive adoptive leave and benefit.
