PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT’S Paul Murphy has said his party plans to introduce a new Bill which will bring in paid parental leave. 

Parents in Ireland are currently entitled to 26 weeks of unpaid Parental Leave before their child reaches the age of 12.

Other EU countries – Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany and Sweden – provide between seven and 14 months of paid parental leave. 

“With the school summer holidays well under way, thousands of hard pressed parents are taking unpaid Parental Leave from their jobs,” Murphy said. 

“Mortgages, rent and bills don’t get any smaller over the summer but many families’ pay packets do.”

“Women are far more likely to take it as the lower paid partner,” Murphy said – stressing that this only serves to reinforce the gender pay gap.

Director of the National Women’s Council Orla O’Connor said she supported the move.

She said it would “put Ireland in line with where most European countries are” and mean families in Ireland could have “the same expectations as other parents across the EU”. 

“CSO data showed that those working in lower paid sectors are far less likely to avail of parental leave,” O’Connor said.

“We also know the severe impact it has on women, and particularly groups of women. Lone parents, for example, cannot afford to take this leave, so you’re really restricting options in relation to spending time with children and caring for particular groups.”

“The National Women’s Council has long campaigned for parental leave to be paid and is once again calling for this in Budget 2025.”

“The leave should be paid from exchequer funding,” Murphy said.