New paid parental leave and benefit is set to help up to 60,000 parents per year, starting this November.
Parents will have access to two weeks leave each and the legislation will also enable male couples to receive adoptive leave and benefit.
Minister for Employment Affairs Regina Doherty, Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan and the Minister of State, David Stanton, announced the scheme yesterday.
Minister Doherty said: “Parents, children and society in general will all benefit from the introduction of this scheme.
“Firstly, in that formative first year of life, children now have the opportunity to spend more time with both parents.
Almost half of Irish parents have missed up to five days of work due to a lack of childcare
“Secondly, on top of the recently introduced Paternity Benefit, this extends the leave benefits available to fathers.
“Crucially this new benefit is non-transferable and is available on a ‘use it or lose it’ basis.
“This, I hope, will help to incentivise fathers to take more time off work to care for their children than has been the case up to now.
“The evidence shows that when fathers take a more significant and meaningful share in the parenting of their children the individual family benefits - and so does wider society, as by encouraging more fathers to take time off, we are in a position to challenge the existing culture regarding work and gender.”
Working parents now spend over €1,700 more on childcare compared to five years ago
