The cabinet has finally approved an increase in parent’s leave from two to five weeks for each parent, but says this can’t happen until April 2021 because IT systems need to be updated to make it possible. The necessary legislation is expected in the New Year.
Each parent of a child born on or before 1st November 2019 is currently eligible to take two weeks’ parent’s leave in the child’s first year. The leave, which attracts a parent’s benefit of €245 a week for workers with sufficient PRSI contributions, is different from unpaid parental leave.
Following a budget announcement in October, it had been expected that parent’s leave would increase to five weeks from next April, when the period in which the leave can be taken would also increase to two years.
Earlier this month the Fórsa news bulletin reported that unions had welcomed reports that parent’s leave would eventually be extended to nine weeks. This is the minimum requirement under an EU directive, which is due to be fully transposed into Irish law by August 2022.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has expressed concern at the low take-up of both paternity leave and parents' leave. It says this is mainly due to the relatively low payment of €245 a week and most employers’ reluctance to top up the benefit.
Some 50% of fathers don’t take the two weeks’ paternity leave they are due.
A recent spending review by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) found that neither the public service nor most private sector employers topped up the payment.
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Leave
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Who gets it?
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How long?
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Is it paid?
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Maternity leave
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Female employees
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26 weeks and up to 16 unpaid weeks
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Yes, Maternity Benefit is paid for 26 weeks
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Adoptive leave
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Adoptive mothers, Men adopting alone
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24 weeks and up to 16 unpaid weeks
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Yes, Adoptive Benefit is paid for 24 weeks
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Paternity leave
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New parents of children under 6 months of age (but not the mother of the child)
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2 weeks
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Yes, Paternity Benefit is paid for 2 weeks
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Parental leave
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Parents and guardians of children under 12
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26 weeks
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No, it’s unpaid
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Parent’s leave
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Parents of children under 1 year of age (or in first year of adoption) - this will increase to 2 years from April 2021
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2 weeks (5 weeks from April 2021)
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Yes, Parent’s Benefit is paid for 2 weeks
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SOURCE: Citizens Information.
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