The Dail has officially passed new legislation that will see parental leave being extended to 26 weeks.
It is understood the new Bill which will see changes beginning from September was overwhelmingly passed by all parties on Tuesday evening.
The Bill which was first introduced back in 2017, will now see parental leave for all children under the age of 12 being extended from 18 to 22 weeks this coming September.
It will then be extended by a further 4 weeks to 26 weeks in 2020.
Following its passage through the Dail on Tuesday, a number of TD’s said the new legislation will assist parents by allowing them to spend more time with their children.