Parental leave and benefit extended by three weeks
By Ellen O'Regan
Parents can now look forward to three weeks additional Parent’s Leave and Parent’s Benefit under new laws introduced this month.
The new provisions are included in the Family Leave and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2021, which came into law on 1 April.
According to these provisions, an additional three weeks of Parent’s Leave and Parent’s Benefit are available to each working parent of a child born or adopted on or after 1 November 2019 (bringing the total to five weeks).
The additional leave and benefit are available to both employees and the self-employed, and will be paid at the same rate as maternity, paternity and adoptive benefits, at €245 per week.
The leave and benefits are not transferrable between parents, to ensure that both parents are encouraged and supported in taking time out from work to spend time with their child.
The period in which the leave and benefit can be taken has also been extended, so new parents can take paid leave for up two years after the birth or adoption of a child. Other positive changes include an extension of adoptive leave and benefit to male same sex couples, and freedom for adoptive couples to choose which of them will avail of adoptive leave, with paternity leave and benefit being available to the other parent.
Commenting on the new provisions, Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman said: “Supporting working parents to achieve a better work-life balance is something I and my Government colleagues are committed to, so I am delighted that parents can now take up three weeks additional parent’s leave and parent’s benefit.
“The Family Leave Act modernises the law in relation to both adoptive leave and parent’s leave, reflecting the diversity of Irish families in 2021 and acknowledges that, for many Irish families, both parents are working. Importantly, it also encourages the sharing of parental responsibilities equally between couples.”
Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphries added: “The first two years of life is an important time for both the new-born and their parents and I am delighted that the announcement will allow parents to spend more of this special time with their child so they can forge special memories together.”