2816. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019, under which a child in a one-parent family has access to a maximum of nine weeks’ paid parental leave compared with up to 18 combined weeks for a child with two parents in the household, is consistent with the principle of equal access for children to early parental care regardless of family structure; if her Department has engaged with the Department of Social Protection on this disparity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59632/26]

2952. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to reform the parental leave system to allow single parents to take the parental leave that two parents would be entitled to and so ensure children of single parents are not disadvantaged, whether as part of budget 2027 or otherwise; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59778/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 2816 and 2952 together.

There have been significant developments in entitlements for parents of working families in recent years. The Government is committed to supporting workers, including by extending paid leave for parents to allow them to spend more time with their child during their earliest years.

Under the Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019, working parents are entitled to nine weeks of paid parent's leave for each relevant parent, to be taken in the first two years after the birth or adoptive placement of a child, as required by the EU Work Life Balance Directive.

It is important to note that the entitlement under the 2019 Act is for each parent in their own right and is not an allocation per family. The Act was drafted to take account of the broad complexion of family life, including one parent families, and allows for an entitlement for the spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of the parent. Parents do not have to cohabit to be eligible for the entitlement. However, the leave is non-transferable to ensure that fathers as well as mothers are supported in their caring roles and to support women's equal labour market participation. The principle of non-transferability is also required by the EU Work-Life Balance Directive because of the importance of ensuring that the provision of family leave does not serve to disadvantage mothers who are participating in the labour market.

Under the Parental Leave (Amendment) Act 2019, an employee who is a relevant parent in respect of a child under the age 12 is entitled to 26 weeks’ unpaid parental leave for each child. Where a child has a disability or long-term illness, the entitlement can continue until the child is 16. A relevant parent is a parent, an adoptive parent, or a person acting in ‘loco parentis'.

It should be noted that the legislation only sets out the minimum entitlement to parental leave. Depending on an individual’s contract of employment, they may have more extensive rights to parental leave, as employers have the option to offer more than the entitlement set out in the legislation.

The Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 complements existing family leaves and other entitlements already in place and provides additional flexibility to ensure that parents and carers can be supported to balance their working and family lives. Under this legislation, parents and carers have a right to request flexible working in line with Article 9 of the Directive EU 2019/1158. Five days leave per year for medical care purposes was also introduced under this Act.

The Government is aware of the additional challenges faced by one-parent families and their greater risk of poverty. The Government will continue to address the challenges through taxation and welfare systems and the range of services provided. There is also a commitment in the Programme for Government 2025, ‘Securing Ireland’s Future’, to continue to prioritise and enhance supports for lone parents and I am acutely aware of the additional challenges facing these families

Family leave provisions are kept under review to ensure that they are effective and respond to the needs of families and also mindful of the impact of the leaves on workplaces. The new National Strategy for Women and Girls 2025-2030 was published on the 18th of November 2025. The first Action Plan under the new Strategy was published on the 5th August and includes actions to support working families in balancing the competing demands of family and work. How best to support all families, including those with lone parents will be considered within this context.