From today, Parent’s Leave and Parent’s Benefit will be extended from seven weeks to nine weeks.
The measures were announced as part of Budget 2024.
Parents will be able to claim the additional two weeks’ leave if their child is under the age of two, or if an adopted child has been placed with a family for less than two years.
Parent’s Leave is available to both employees and people who are self-employed.
Parent’s Benefit is paid at a rate of €274 per week and can be claimed by people who are on Parent’s Leave from work, if they have enough social insurance (PRSI) contributions.
Employers do not have to pay workers who are on Parent’s Leave, although some may ‘top-up’ Parent’s Benefit payments.
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Parent’s Leave is different to Parental Leave, which entitles parents to take unpaid leave from work to spend time looking after their children.
Since 1 September 2020, both parents can take up to 26 weeks of Parental Leave.
Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman it was an important support for parents and the success of the policy can be seen in the take-up rates.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, he said: “Mam’s get the six months of maternity leave, plus the nine weeks, plus the 16 weeks of unpaid parental leave, and Dad’s get the two weeks of paternity leave, and the nine weeks paid parents leave, so it’s a significant growth over the life span of this Government.”
The Green Party leader also said the Government will be looking at whether it is more impactful to increase financial benefits or time for parents in the future.
