Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 February 2026
509. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the role her Department plays in public awareness campaigns for paternity leave and parent’s leave, including targeted outreach to employers and employees; the plans in place to increase awareness and take-up by men; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1859/26]
View answerGovernment is committed to supporting working families in meeting the competing demands of employment and caring responsibilities.
Under the Parental Leave (Amendment) Act 2019, an employee who is a relevant parent in respect of a child under the age 12 is entitled to 26 weeks’ unpaid parental leave for each child. Where a child has a disability or long-term illness, the entitlement can continue until the child is 16. A relevant parent is a parent, an adoptive parent, or a person acting in ‘loco parentis’. Both parents have an equal, separate entitlement to parental leave.
There have been significant developments in the entitlements to family leaves for working families in recent years, and this includes the aforementioned extension of the parental leave entitlements in 2019 from 18 weeks to 26 weeks, and the extension of the time period in which the leave can be taken from when the child attains the age of 8 years to when the child attains the age of 12 years.
The Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 was enacted on 4 April 2023, and introduces important entitlements for workers, including leave for medical care purposes for parents of children under 12, and the right to request flexible working for parents and carers. It transposes the Work-Life Balance Directive which specifically prevents the transfer of paid leave between parents in the interests of gender equality and of encouraging fathers as well as mothers to take such leave. Otherwise, there is a risk that only mothers would take the leave, potentially creating labour market disadvantages for them and that fathers would not be encouraged to take a greater share of their caring responsibilities.
In addition to these supports, gender equality is being promoted in Ireland under a whole-of government policy framework provided by the National Strategy for Women and Girls 2025-2030.
Objective 5, ‘Having a Fair Share’, commits to addressing inequalities which persist between men and women in economic and financial power. In accordance with this, the Strategy aims to support working families in meeting the competing demands of employment and child care. Therefore, the Strategy will work to enhance the scope of family leaves and increase benefit rates by introducing a pay related model.
Additionally, objective 7 'Being Supported', commits to acknowledging, rewarding, and more equally sharing caring responsibilities. Under this objective the Strategy seeks to challenge trends where women can be pressurised, particularly by online messaging, into particular care roles.
The Department is continuing work to understand the barriers to the uptake of family leaves and will bring forward legislative amendments or policy proposals where major challenges are identified. The first Action Plan to oversee the implementation of the aforementioned National Strategy for Women and Girls is currently in development and any changes to family leave provisions or initiatives to support take-up will be considered in this context.
