home News   HR & Employment Law   Additional 3 Weeks Leave Available For Parents Of Children Born During Pandemic

Additional 3 Weeks Leave Available For Parents Of Children Born During Pandemic

In recognition of the difficulties experienced by parents during the pandemic, the Cabinet has announced that parents of children born during the pandemic can take an additional three weeks of Parent's leave - specifically for parents of children born after 1 November 2019 - during the Covid-19 crisis. From an employment law perspective this is a much-welcomed addition and will provide employees with additional benefits while at the same time it acts as a means of balancing health, safety and welfare obligations to employees.

This leave would be paid at the rate of €245 a week for the additional three weeks and will come into effect in November 2020.

Currently the Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 sets out the entitlements and criteria applicable to Parent’s leave available to the relevant parent.

Eligibility for Parent’s leave depends on an Employee meeting certain criteria including the following,

  • The Employee’s status as a relevant parent,

  • The Employee taking the leave within 52 weeks of the birth of the child or in the case of adoption, from the placement date, and,

  • The Employee providing certain notice requirements.


Entitlement to Leave is for a Relevant Parent -

  • A parent of the child

  • A spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of the parent of the child

  • A parent of a donor-conceived child as provided for under section 5 of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015

  • The adopting parent or parents of a child

  • The spouse or civil partner of the adopting parent of the child (if the parents have not adopted the child together).


Currently, the available 2 weeks of Parent's leave for eligible parents can be taken as a continuous period of two week or separate periods each consisting of no less than one week. Further details of the leave are expected over the coming months and it is important that HR departments are keeping up to date with information of this type or using HR outsourcing resources to keep abreast of developments.

Share on