Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 November 2025
402. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 502 of 18 November 2025, the advice she would give to a teacher who has moved schools in the past 12-months but due to their child’s illness are forced to temporarily leave work and they cannot qualify for carer’s allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65675/25]
View answerThe Carer's Leave Scheme is regulated by the Carer's Leave Act 2001, as amended.
The terms and conditions of the Carer's Leave Scheme for teachers are set out in my department's Circular 54/2019. Under the terms of that Circular, a teacher may apply for Carer's Leave where he/she has satisfactorily completed one year's continuous service with the current employer. This requirement is waived where a teacher is compulsorily redeployed into a school or where a school is amalgamated provided that he/she has worked at least one full year in his/her former school prior to redeployment/amalgamation.
As this scheme is based on legislation brought by the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (formerly Enterprise, Trade and Employment) it is not possible for the Department to amend the criteria.
The criteria for the payment of Carer’s Benefit/Allowance are set by the Department of Social Protection and are not set by the Department of Education and Youth. The payment of such allowances is entirely a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection. In terms of the advice for this teacher, this is essentially a matter between her and her employer (the school). The teacher in question should be advised to discuss the options with her employer who will be familiar with the particular circumstances of the case and will be best placed to discuss any options open to this teacher. For example, leave such as unpaid leave might be an option subject to the limits set out in Circular 54/2019.
I hope this information is of assistance to you and I wish the family well.
