Government under fire for failing to top up public servants' parental leave pay

It has been revealed that the Government is not topping up the basic €245 a week social welfare payment that has been available to working parents since last month.

Parents are entitled to two weeks' paid leave for a child born or adopted on or after November 1 this year, on top of maternity and paternity leave.

The move has outraged unions as the public service has long been seen as a gold standard for employment terms and conditions.

They said the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has always topped up other statutory paid leave for the public service workforce of over 300,000 to full pay. This included maternity, paternity and sick leave payments.

A Department of Public Expenditure and Reform spokesperson last night confirmed that public servants' parental leave payments are "not topped up at present".

"The new paid parent's leave that was introduced in November 2019 is being paid from the Social Insurance Fund at the current rate of €245 per week," she said.

"No Government decision has been taken on the issue of salary top-ups for public servants."

Teacher unions noted that the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection ran an extensive media campaign promoting the leave, pointing out the importance of spending time with your baby.

"This calls into question whether the Government is really serious about supporting working families," said the ASTI, INTO and TUI in a joint statement.

They demanded that the move was reversed. They added the Department of Education and Skills had indicated to them that on the Department of Public Expenditure's instructions, it will not top up the €245 a week benefit to full pay.

"The ASTI, INTO and TUI welcome the introduction of additional paid parent's leave from November 1 this year," said the statement from Kieran Christie, general secretary of the ASTI, John Boyle, general secretary of the INTO, and John MacGabhann, general secretary of the TUI.

"This leave is intended to let working parents spend more time with their baby or adopted child during the first year."

The unions said employers in the public service had always led the way in providing fully paid leave.

"By refusing to pay the full personal daily rate to teachers, Government sends a strong signal to unscrupulous employers that they do not need to support their own employees beyond what the State provides," they said.

"It's not too late for a change of mind."

A Department of Education spokesman said parent's leave and its implementation for teachers had been raised at a Teacher Conciliation Council.

"And as the proceedings of the TCC are confidential it would not be appropriate to comment," he said.