The Minister for Children James Reilly has said that he is considering plans to introduce a one year, fully paid parental leave, split between both parents.
According to the proposals, the year could be split in any way the parents wish, and may also entitle parents to extra weeks of leave, to encourage them to spend as much time with their child as possible during the first year of the child’s life
Childcare issues in Ireland have consistently been highlighted by the European Union, particularly problems related to high costs and poor access. It has been said that all these issues are “a significant barrier to parents finding employment and avoiding the risk of poverty.”
Dr. Reilly has established a new group to examine different options to make childcare more affordable, and introduce a more structured system which would allow more mothers, in particular, to re-enter the workforce.
The group’s findings are expected to be known by the summer.