New Bill could see Irish parents’ amount of parental leave increase to six months

A new Bill is set to be introduced today that would see the amount of parental leave increase to six months.

The Social Democrats will bring The Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill before the Dáil on Thursday, February 8. It would allow parents to take a total of six months (26 weeks) unpaid leave from their jobs without their employment rights being affected. This would be an increase on the current maximum of 18 weeks of unpaid parental leave per child aged eight-years-old and under - the minimum that is allowed under EU law. The government has said that it wouldn't be opposing the Bill, which is expected to be taken at second stage today. Speaking ahead of the introduction of the Bill in the Dáil today, Róisín Shortall said:

“Working parents lead very busy lives and are under constant pressure to do the best they can for their children whilst also holding down jobs so that they can pay their bills.

"Our Bill is about giving parents the option of taking more unpaid time off work to care for their children, if that is their wish and it makes economic sense for them.

“For parents with pre-school children in particular, unpaid parental leave might be a more economical alternative to paying for formal childcare.

"Childcare costs can prove a huge barrier for women to return to the workforce – in some cases, women return simply to keep their job rather than gaining any extra income."

The Social Democrats’ spokesperson on Children, Councillor Jennifer Whitmore, added:

“Parents can spread the 26 weeks of unpaid leave out over the years until their children reach the age of eight.

"They can use it to cover mid-terms or school summer holidays or simply maximise time with their children in their first year.

"This reform is about improving work-life balance for parents, encouraging women to remain in the workforce and helping reduce childcare costs.

"For employers who are keen to retain women workers, our proposals offer increased flexibility around work schedules that could make the difference between mothers staying in their jobs as productive members of the workforce, or quitting out of exhaustion and stress."