The new bill provides fathers with two weeks of paternity leave and two weeks of paternity benefit amounting to €230 per week.
When the bill is enacted by the Dail at the end of next week, it will allow new fathers to start the combined package of paternity leave and paternity benefit at any time, within the first six months following the birth of their child.
It will also apply to the new fathers of adopted children.
Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar said: “It’s great to be able to do something for dads by providing paternity benefit to all PRSI contributors for the first time.”
“Parenting is changing and fathers are more and more involved in raising their children.”
“Ireland is behind the curve compared to our European colleagues but this combined package of paternity leave and paternity benefit will help to address that,” he added.